A Bitter Upbringing and a Tender Love
by SonicGenesis89
Summary: Sonic has always had a hard life. After a tragic accident lands Sonic in an orphanage he meets a young girl named Amy Rose who becomes his closest friend. As they grow older together Sonic begins to question whether or not he likes her as just a friend anymore. If that wasn't enough on his mind what will Sonic do when he finds his troubled past coming back to haunt him years later?
1. Keeping It Secret

_**This is my very first fan fiction. I got inspired to write after reading animeaddict2323232's "The Player" and "Invisible." If you haven't read those yet I highly recommend it! I fell in love with the stories so much it gave me my own ideas for writing my own. I hope you guys like my story...it was my first time writing so I hope it's at least decent lol. XD All Sonic characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.**_

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><p><em><strong>Summary<strong>_

_Sonic has always had a hard life, after a tragic accident lands Sonic in an orphanage he meets a young girl named Amy Rose whom becomes his closest friend. As they grow older together Sonic finds himself confused about his feelings and relationship with Amy. He begins to question whether or not he likes her as just a friend anymore. If that wasn't enough on his mind, what will Sonic do when he finds his troubled past coming back to haunt him years later?_

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><p><strong>Chapter One – Keeping It Secret<strong>

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><p>It was a calm, bright, sunny day in early August; hardly any clouds could be seen in the sky. In the isolated suburban neighborhood a small blue figure could be seen walking to the front door of his two story home. He carefully opened the door slowly and peaked his head in first to see if anyone was home. The lights were off and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of house hold appliances humming. The little hedgehog sighed in relief realizing nobody was home yet and threw his back pack on the floor by the front door.<p>

He quickly ran up the stairs to reach his tiny bedroom where he shut the door slowly. His mother, Bernadette worked long hours and almost always came home late; his father Jules, however, usually came home in the late afternoons much to Sonic's dismay. The little hedgehog ran over to his toys laying on the floor and began to play with them. Sonic was a small five year old cobalt hedgehog with emerald green eyes; he used to be a very outgoing, outspoken child but as of late he's become more quiet and submissive. Keeping to himself as much as possible and not saying much, he knew it worried his mother but he couldn't say why he's become this way. He couldn't tell anybody why.

A half an hour had passed, just as the small boy felt comfortable and got heavily involved with playing with his toys the sound of the front door slamming filled his ears. An angry voice filled the house as the man screamed after tripping over something, a back pack. Sonic yelped in fear immediately recognizing the voice and stopped playing. He quickly looked around for a place to hide and ran to his closet shutting the door and trying to hide in a corner amongst toys and stuffed animals.

"Sonic!" The man yelled, it was none other than his father Jules.

"Sonic! Get down here right now!" The man yelled again slurring his words.

Sonic began to quiver in fear as he heard his father yelling and tried to stay as silent as possible as he heard heavy foot steps heading towards his bedroom. The door swung open violently as his father kicked it open yelling his name once again. His father looked around seeing no sign of the small boy.

"I know you're in here you little shit...don't try to hide from me." He said angrily looking around for the small boy.

His father started to violently tear the bedroom apart; he kicked around at Sonic's toys, uprooted his mattress leaving it dangling off of his bed and the blankets a mess. Sonic sat in the corner of his closet holding his legs close to his chest; he gulped and closed his eyes hoping his father would not find him.

His father looked under the bed first but found nothing. He looked up and checked his surroundings once again when his eyes landed on the closet door. An evil smirk came across his face and he laughed maliciously.

The room was suddenly quiet and Sonic opened one eye wondering if his father had given up and left; he began to feel slightly relieved and calm but that feeling washed away as quickly as it had come when his closet door was suddenly ripped open with much force. He looked up in fear as he saw his father looking back down at him and before he could register what was going on his father had grabbed him and pulled him out of the closet.

He whimpered in pain as his father's grip on his wrist tightened and he was swung into the bedroom wall. He winced as he tried to open his eyes and keep from falling to the floor. Suddenly a sharp pain was felt in his stomach as his father had hit him. He felt the air being knocked right out of him and he began to collapse to the bedroom floor.

His father continued to beat him relentlessly almost as if he truly enjoyed causing the little hedgehog pain. The little boy begged for his father to stop, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. His father kicked him in the stomach one last time before finally stopping. Sonic lay on the floor clutching his stomach gasping for breath. His face stained with tears from the pain he had just received.

His father looked down at the sad sight and felt satisfied with what he had done. He looked around at the destroyed bedroom and then looked back down at the crying boy.

"Don't cross me again or next time your punishment will be much worse." He said coldly.

The pain was unbearable, Sonic ached all over and he struggled to open his eyes to face his father. His father's eyes were dull and emotionless as he looked down at his pathetic excuse for a son.

"Remember what I said Sonic...this is our little secret. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your mother now would you?" He smiled darkly as Sonic's eyes widened in fear. He mustered as much strength as he could as he shook his head slightly. "No..." He whispered softly.

His father just smirked at him. He looked around the bedroom once more as he began to leave; he kicked more of Sonic's toys around as he reached the bedroom door.

"And clean all this shit up before your mother gets home!" He said bitterly as he slammed the bedroom door shut.

Sonic's eyes brimmed with freshly new tears as he tried his hardest to hold them in. He lay there on the floor feeling weak in pain trying to find the strength to sit up. As he forced himself up dizziness overcame him. He held his hand up to his head and closed his eyes as he fought to recollect himself. After a few minutes he summoned enough strength to stand and began to try and clean his room and hide any evidence of foul play; he wanted to tell his mother what was happening to him so badly but was very afraid.

He was afraid his father would hurt his mother like he claims he would. Sonic loved his mother more than anything the last thing he wanted was her getting hurt because of him. As he finished fixing his bedroom and pushing his mattress back in place he collapsed on the bed and began to sob uncontrollably. The sun was beginning to set, its soft orange and red rays of light lite up the room through his blinds. The tiny hedgehog pulled the covers over him and hugged them tightly as he clutched his stuffed chao, his warm salty tears soaking it.

"_Why?__" _He asked himself. _"__Why __does __daddy __hate __me __so __much?__" _He hugged his chao stuffed animal even tighter. How he wished he could have a normal life; at school he would see all the other children with both loving parents. Boy's playing ball in the park with their fathers or flying kites together, how he wished he could have a loving relationship like that with his father. He couldn't even think of a single sincere fond memory of him and his father together.

He wiped his tears away and closed his eyes trying to fall asleep. At least he had his mother, he would be at a total loss without her. Unfortunately she worked long, unpredictable hours and he was stuck at home alone with his father most of the time. The moments he spent with his mother, however, were some of the most happiest moments in his life. He sniffed as his eyes began to feel heavy and soon enough sleep overcame him.

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><p>Hours had past and his room was now draped in pure darkness. "Mmm..." He mumbled as he opened his sore eyes. He could hear conversation downstairs and a faint aroma of food filled his nose. His mother must have come home by now and was talking to his dad. As much as he wanted to go downstairs and greet his mother warmly he didn't want to leave his bed. His body felt sore from the beating he had received earlier and the last thing he wanted was to be near his father right now.<p>

His stomach suddenly growled fiercely and he groaned; he was hungry, the smell of the food cooking downstairs was beckoning him. He sighed and pulled the covers off of himself, his eyes were now fully adjusted to the darkness. He looked down at his chao stuffed animal and gave it one more strong hug before standing up. He winced in pain and immediately regretted it wanting to sit back down.

Ignoring his pain he walked over to the bedroom door, taking a deep breath he opened the door to head downstairs. He had to act like everything was fine otherwise his mother will be suspicious. Slowly walking downstairs he saw his mother cooking dinner at the stove and his father sitting at the dinner table. He gulped and felt apprehensive when walking closer.

Bernadette had just finished cooking and began preparing to put the food on everyone's plates when she saw her young son enter the room. She smiled brightly at him and he returned the smile rushing over to her giving her a big hug.

"Hi mommy!" He said brightly, all his troubles immediately vanishing from his mind.

"Hey sweetheart! Did you have a nice nap?" Sonic nodded

Jules watched the scene between the two in disgust but hid it well. Bernadette ushered her son to his seat and continued to serve everyone their meal. Dinner time was very awkward for Sonic, his father acted like a completely different person around his mother. He acted like a kind, sincere and honest man. The complete opposite of how he acted when Sonic was alone with him. Sonic ate his dinner in a hurry, his growling stomach not wanting him to slow down for a second; his mother giggled at her son, watching him get covered in food.

"Slow down Sonic you're getting food all over the place." She held in another giggle as she looked at her son who was now a complete mess. He just looked up at her with a bright smile, his eyes lighting up.

"I can't! I'm so hungry!"

"You're always hungry." She teased, he smiled.

"Well I'm even more hungry tonight!" He said while slurping up some of his soup. She smiled lovingly at her son.

"Didn't you eat the lunch I packed for you today?"

"Of course I did!" He beamed.

"Did you find mommy's note in it?" He smiled and nodded. His mother would always write a loving note on his napkins for him to find each day. They would say little gestures such as "Have a nice day!" or "I love you!" They never ceased to cheer him up and bring a smile to his face. If he was having a bad day at school his mother's notes were always in his lunch box to make everything better.

Jules rolled his eyes and continued to eat his meal quietly. "So how was your day dear?" She asked her husband. She knew she was treading on a sensitive topic, work has been difficult for her husband lately. He's been under a lot of stress.

Jules sighed and put down his fork. "Nothing has improved, there's simply no business."

She frowned. "I don't know how much longer I can handle this." He said while getting up to put his plate in the sink. She stood up to comfort her husband, rubbing his back gently. "Don't worry...things will get better soon you'll see." He smiled at his wife and pecked her lips softly. "I hope you're right honey."

Sonic sat quietly watching the scene taking place. Sadness swept over him suddenly and he frowned looking down at the table. _"__Maybe __it's __all __my __fault __that __daddy's __so __angry __and __sad.__" _He thought to himself.

He was taken away from his thoughts as he heard his mother's voice once again. "How about you sweety...how was your day today?" He smiled weakly at his mother. "It was okay...we played a number game today...and...did a lot of finger painting." She smiled at her son as she began to wash his face lightly with a wet cloth.

"Anything else exciting happen?" She asked.

He put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "Oh yeah! We got longer time on the playground today because our teacher lost track of the time! It was great!" He exclaimed excitedly.

She smiled as she continued to wipe his face. "You're such a mess, you're going to need a nice bath tonight." He grimaced at the thought; he absolutely hated water. "Aw...do I have to?" She giggled, "Yes, Sonic, you have to." He crossed his arms and made a face as she tried getting globs of food out of his ears.

As she began wiping his left cheek he suddenly winced in pain and pulled away from her immediately as if her touch burned him. He whimpered softly trying to conceal any signs of pain. She looked at him suspiciously, concern and worry filling her eyes.

She lifted his chin up to get a better view of his left cheek and noticed it seemed slightly swollen. She touched it gingerly with her fingers and noticed him closing his eyes flinching slightly. She frowned, looking into her son's emerald green orbs.

"Sonic...what happened?" She asked him soothingly. His eyes widened in fear and he suddenly tried to think of something to say.

"N-nothing...I-I'm f-fine..." He stuttered while trying to break eye contact with his mother. He turned and looked at his father who was glaring at him. He was livid, his eyes filled with rage and hatred for him. He gulped unsure of how to get out of this situation.

"Really...mommy...I'm fine..." She eyed him questioningly, she knew he wasn't being honest with her. The past few months she's noticed a significant change in her son; he was once a very happy, outgoing and very outspoken child always looking for fun and adventure. Lately though...he's become more shy and quiet, he keeps to himself and has become very soft spoken.

She was worried about him, she knew there was something he was not telling her; she had hoped he would have been honest and told her what it was by now. She sighed pulling her son into a strong embrace; Sonic buried his face into her and fought back the tears that threatened to leak out of his green eyes. She stroked his quills soothingly and looked to her husband for support. He wore a false expression that read a mixture of sympathy and confusion.

With one quick swoop she lifted her son up into her arms and began to carry him upstairs. He lay his head on her shoulder closing his eyes. He felt so safe in her arms, he never wanted her to let him go. She led them towards the bathroom in silence and gently sat him down on the bathroom counter. After cleaning out the tub she began to fill it with warm water and added bubble bath.

She tossed some of Sonic's toys into the tub in hopes of cheering the melancholy boy up. He just watched his mother in silence. She turned the faucet off stopping the water and walked over to her sullen son. She asked him again softly while cupping his face in her hands. "Sonic...what happened to you...?"

He pulled his face away and looked down at the tile floor. "Nothing...mommy honest...I just fell while playing outside that's all..." She sighed again and hugged him gently a look of sadness apparent in her emerald green eyes. Deciding to let the subject go she began to undress him, starting with his school shirt.

When she finally removed the last of his garments she led him to the bath. He frowned when he looked down at the water then he looked back at his mother pleadingly.

"Go on...get in." She ordered. He sighed and slowly stepped into the tub and sat down; she pulled a small stool over and sat on it holding a wash cloth in her hand. She attempted to make bath time fun for him and cheer him up. They played with the bubble bath, sang songs and he began to play with his toys. She got him to finally laugh and smile again. As she finished washing him she unplugged the drain to drain out the water and helped him up wrapping him in a towel.

He looked up at his mother lovingly as they walked into his bedroom. She pulled out warm red pajama's from his dresser and began dressing him, tickling him while doing so. He giggled uncontrollably, squirming to try and escape her grasp. "Oh no you don't! You can't get away from me that easily!" She teased. He tried to tickle her back in hopes she'll let go of him.

Both hedgehogs were now laughing as she tried to put his pajama shirt on. When he saw the opportunity to escape her grasp he took it. He ran to the other end of the bedroom laughing.

"Sonic get back here so I can put your shirt on."

"Not-uh" He teased.

She began running after him and failed to catch him each time. He was just to fast for her, every time she got close enough to grab him he would dart to the other side of the room. She began to feel out of breath and paused for a moment to catch herself. He stopped and walked closer to his mother and she sought the opportunity to grab him and succeeded.

"Gotcha!"

"No! No! No!" He squirmed trying to escape from her firm hold once again. She chuckled and began to tickle him again. He giggled while he continued to struggle in her arms. She sat him back on his bed and pulled the pajama shirt down over his head.

"Finally..." She pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead. "Phew...what a workout." She teased. He laughed at her.

"Alright kiddo...time to brush your teeth and go to bed."

"Aw...but it's still early!"

"No but's you have school tomorrow." He sighed.

Losing that argument the little hedgehog walked back to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. As he came back into the bedroom his mother led him to bed and tucked him in. She nuzzled her nose against his and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"I love you Sonic." She told her son.

"I love you too mommy." He hugged her tight.

As she stood up and began turning to leave the room she felt a little hand on her wrist; she turned to look back at her son.

"Mommy can you read me a story..." He asked softly.

She smiled. "Alright...but a quick one okay?" He nodded.

She went to the book shelf and searched for a quick story book to read him. She sat back down beside him and began to read him the story, while doing so he snuggled close to her. As she finished the story she looked back over at her son to find him fast asleep. She smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead softly.

While she went to put the book away she turned around and faced him again. There was something bothering her she wanted to check out. While giving him a bath she could have sworn she saw marks on his stomach...but she couldn't tell without further examination. He was already upset so she decided to leave it alone for the rest of the evening.

She walked back over to him, pulling the blankets down softly and began to lift his little pajama shirt up. When she did and got a glimpse of his stomach she let out of quick gasp immediately holding her hand up to her mouth. His stomach was covered in little black and blue bruises. Tears threatened her eyes when she saw how badly he was bruised.

"_How...?" _

"_How did this happen?" _

She traced her fingers over his stomach gently and Sonic twitched in his sleep slightly while she did so.

"_Who did this to you baby..." _

She felt tears roll down her cheeks as she held her one hand over her mouth. She pulled his pajama shirt back down and pulled his blankets back over him. She kissed him again softly before walking towards the bedroom door. She turned the lights off and took one last look at her son before quietly shutting his bedroom door.

"_I __need __to __talk __to __Jules __about __this...__" _She thought. This was serious someone was physically hurting her son and she wanted to know who and why. She walked into her bedroom to find Jules already in bed; she turned on the lamp on her end of the bed as she sat down.

"Jules...we need to talk about Sonic." She whispered giving her husband a gentle push on the shoulder.

Jules was annoyed, however, he didn't want his wife to know. He had slipped up today; he had gotten carried away with his punishment on Sonic and left evidence for her to find. He needed to make sure that that little shit would not say a word to her but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

"Mm...?" He pretended he was asleep and suddenly awoken.

"What about Sonic?" He pretended to sound concerned.

"I just looked at his stomach when I was putting him to bed...he's covered in bruises."

She looked down at her hands. "I knew there has been something bothering him lately...but he would never tell me what it is." Fear crossed Jule's mind for a moment.

"Did he tell you anything tonight?" He asked sitting up. "Any clues as to what may be happening to him?" He continued to sound very concerned as he put an arm around his wife's shoulder.

She shook her head. "No...he won't tell me anything no matter how much I ask him." A wave of relief came over Jules.

"Don't worry Bernadette...I'm sure he's going to be fine...he's a tough kid." He said giving her false encouragement.

She nodded. "I know he is...but I'm getting really upset..." Tears threatened her eyes once again as she fought to hold them in.

"Who would do this?" She asked shaking slightly.

"Why?" She wiped a loose tear that fell freely from one eye. Jules hugged his wife pretending to be just as clueless as she was.

"I don't know..."

"Perhaps he's being picked on by kids at school?" She suddenly wondered. "I should make an appointment for a conference...maybe the teacher can tell me something."

"Do you really think thats necessary?" He asked slightly nervous. _"__If __the __teachers __check __him __and __notice __anything __odd __they __may __want __to __investigate.__" _He thought.

She nodded. "Mmhmm" He sighed.

"Do whatever you want to do...but I don't think you should worry too much...he'll be fine."

Desperately wanting a change in subject he kissed his wife on the lips softly. "Come on...it's getting late...why don't we get some shut eye eh?"

"A-alright..." He laid back down as she leaned over and turned off the lamp. While she snuggled next to her husband her mind wandered on different thoughts of their son. She couldn't help thinking of different reasons as to why he's getting hurt.

What bothered her the most was why he refused to tell her about it. If it was just ordinary bullies at school why did he insist on being so secretive about it? She sighed closing her eyes beginning to feel drowsy. "I may just take off work tomorrow...maybe I can squeeze myself into a conference or something." She looked at her husband expecting a reply but got none; she frowned slightly and closed her eyes slowly drifting off to sleep.


	2. The Mysterious Little Girl

_**I'm sorry for the late update...I have school and have been really busy with back to back projects. Now that they are out of the way I should have more free time to update more often. This chapter gave me a little trouble but chapter three and onwards should come much easier and more natural to me. I hope you like it, also thank you very much everyone for the reviews, they help encourage me to continue writing and also it's nice to see my readers feedback on my story so far. :)**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two – The Mysterious Little Girl<strong>

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><p>The bright lights of the early morning beamed through Sonic's bedroom windows. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned; he sat up slowly rubbing his groggy eyes trying to get the sleepiness out. He looked around his empty bedroom and began looking around his blankets to notice something was missing, starting to slightly panic he began to check under the sheets and his pillows only to find nothing.<p>

"Charlie..." He called out, but received no answer.

"Charlie where are ya?" He leaned over his bed and looked underneath it and sure enough his chao stuffed animal lay on the floor. Feeling relief, he quickly grabbed the stuffed chao and hugged him tightly.

"What are ya doing under there buddy?" He asked the doll.

"Sonic! It's time to get ready for school!" He heard his mother yell from downstairs.

He crawled out of bed and winced slightly, his hand clutching his stomach; he still felt very sore from yesterday. He was usually used to feeling like this and learned how to hide it well but this time he was having great difficulty. It hurt just to breath; his father hasn't gone that hard on him in a long time.

He sighed heading towards the door, trying not to think about it. At least he'll be at school today and away from his father for a good while. Bernadette was in the middle of making his lunch when she heard his little feet rushing down the stairs.

"Good morning sweetheart!" She greeted her sleepy son. He was still rubbing his eyes as he sat down at the table.

"Mornin' mommy." He replied, his eyes still half lidded. He looked down at his plate to see a pancake with two strips of bacon and a sunny side up egg. It took him a moment to realize his pancake was smiling back at him. He looked back at his mother who gave him a warm smile and he returned it. He loved it when she made happy faces on his pancakes with syrup.

She finished packing his lunch box and set it off to the side on the counter. "Did you sleep well?" She asked him, taking a hand and ruffling up his quills. He laughed and nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek lovingly. Suddenly his father came into the kitchen dressed in a suit and tie. Sonic's happy mood suddenly dropped, he looked back down at his plate pretending nothing was wrong and continued to eat. Jules walked over to his wife giving her a quick kiss while adjusting his tie.

"Jules, why don't you sit down and have something to eat before you leave." She suggested, her one hand on his cheek. He smiled back at her. "I can't! I'm running late as it is." Sonic continued to avoid all eye contact with his father, keeping his head low quickly devouring his meal.

Jules looked over at his son and decided to play the fatherly part for his wife. "Mornin kiddo!" He said cheerfully and walked over to him. Sonic felt his nerves acting up, his food suddenly churning in his stomach.

"M-mornin...d-daddy." He stuttered in a low voice, luckily for him his mother didn't catch the stutters due to his mouth being packed with food. His father put on a fake loving smile, trying to conceal the smirk forming on his face.

Jules' eyes wandered on Sonic's stuffed chao sitting next to his plate on the table.

"You're still carrying this thing around?" He asked, suddenly grabbing it. He knew how much Sonic loved the stupid thing and decided to have a little fun with him. Sonic's eyes widened as he dropped his fork and watched helplessly as his father held Charlie in his hands.

His father examined the stuffed doll questioningly. "Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls?" He teased, laughing playfully.

"He's not a doll...he's my friend!" Sonic suddenly blurted out without thinking. His father eyed him sternly for a moment as if challenging the little hedgehog. Sonic realized his mistake and looked back down at his plate. "I-I mean..." He played with the remaining bits of food on his plate with his fork while trying to think of what to say.

He suddenly felt his father step behind his chair and he felt his heart begin to race. He swallowed hard trying to stay calm.

"_I __shouldn't __of __done __that!__" _He mentally scolded himself.

"_I'm __going __to __get __it __real __bad __this __time...__" _He suddenly felt his father's hand on his shoulder and he flinched slightly closing his eyes in reflex. With his other hand Jules handed Sonic back his stuffed chao.

"Here...I know how much he means to you." He said calmly, putting on a fake loving smile. Sonic looked at his father confused for a moment then turned and realized his mother, Bernadette was still in the kitchen; she was completely oblivious to the scene that had just taken place.

"Here." She said handing her husband two slices of toast, fresh from the toaster.

"You can't work on an empty stomach." She insisted, her hand caressing his. He bent down and kissed his wife passionately.

"Thanks dear" He said while pulling away; she smiled sheepishly at him.

"Are you working late again tonight?" He asked his wife.

She nodded, disappointment evident on her face. "Yes...unfortunately..." She turned her attention to Sonic who was still sitting at the kitchen table.

"I couldn't take off today...but I should be able to tomorrow." Jules nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'll be getting off work early today since it's Thursday." His attention suddenly went back to his son.

"Isn't that great Sonic? You and I can spend a lot of time together today." He said with false cheeriness. His hand still on Sonic's shoulder, began to squeeze tightly; Sonic held back a whimper as it began to hurt. Sonic simply nodded trying to find words. "Y-yeah..."

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><p>After breakfast, Bernadette quickly got Sonic dressed and ready for school. She had lost track of the time and they were beginning to run late. Sonic stepped out of the house walking down the small pathway leading to the driveway. Bernadette locked the front door and grabbed her car keys out of her purse. Sonic usually took the bus to school in the mornings and afternoon but she wanted to drive him today. She couldn't take off work today but was able to at least come in slightly later than usual.<p>

"Ready?" She asked him while walking towards their mini van. Sonic nodded, grabbing hold of his mothers hand. She helped him into his booster seat and strapped him in securely.

"We better hurry." She said as she slid into the drivers seat.

"We're running a little late this morning." Sonic stared out the window as she began to pull out and slowly drive off. They drove in silence, Bernadette periodically looking into the rear view mirror to check on her son.

Sonic was lost in his thoughts, thinking about what his father had said at breakfast. He was terrified to come home today; he knew his dad was up to something. He felt his hands becoming clammy as his anxiety built up inside him; he began to twiddle his thumbs and fingers nervously.

His mother noticed his odd change in behavior, and monitored it closely. One of the main reasons she wanted to drive him to school this morning was to try and find more clues as to what was going on with him. She was determined to find out the truth.

"_Is __he __worrying __about __something?__" _She wondered. _"__What's __bothering __you __sweetheart...please __tell __me.__"_

"Sonic?" She suddenly asked. "Is everything alright?"

He turned his attention from the window to look in her direction. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure...? You're awfully quiet this morning." Sonic looked down at his shoes.

Silence again filled the car and his mother sighed, her efforts fruitless.

"Sweetheart...you know you can tell mommy anything." Sonic thought for a moment, taking her words in. He almost considered telling her the truth but decided against it when thoughts of his father returned to him.

"_If __I __tell __mommy __the __truth...daddy __will __hurt __her __because __of __me.__" _He told himself.

The car suddenly came to a stop as she pulled up by the curb of the school. Sonic unbuckled himself and leaned over his mothers seat. She tried to hide the sadness from her eyes as her expression softened; she kissed his cheek affectionately.

"Have a good day at school...okay?" He smiled and kissed her cheek back.

"I will!" He said as he opened the door and climbed out of the car. He pulled his little back pack over his shoulders and gave his mother a final wave goodbye as he began to retreat into the school. She waved back supportively and sat watching him until he disappeared from sight.

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><p>Time seemed to be passing too quickly for Sonic today. School was already halfway over and the thought of going home unnerved him. He sat in deep thought on a swing rocking himself back and forth slowly with his feet. His head lay low dejectedly as he stared at the soft sand beneath his shoes. His mother was beginning to ask more questions now and he was not sure how to avoid answering them anymore. Even his teacher Mrs. Kennedy began to notice a sudden change in his demeanor.<p>

The little hedgehog sighed as he watched all the other children play. He couldn't even consider playing right now; his body ached all over and he had all to do to keep from falling over. He could feel the butterflies jumping in his stomach as he thought about going home later that day.

The rest of the day moved just as swiftly as the morning had. The children had their snack after going on the playground and were watching an educational television show about learning how to read. Sonic, not really paying attention, continued coloring a picture he was making for his mother. Just then, somebody Sonic never saw before came into the classroom to speak with his teacher.

She was a light brown Manx cat with crystal blue eyes. She wore beige pants and a white t-shirt that bore the words "Station Square Children's Home" on the back. The unknown stranger and his teacher were in a deep, serious discussion about something Sonic couldn't hear. Sonic didn't really pay it any mind; he just figured it was another teacher from another classroom.

School had officially ended and Sonic dragged his feet, walking as slowly as possible towards the main entrance of the school. He opened the doors and proceeded outside walking down the steps; he saw the bus loop where he had to find his bus but he felt compelled to stay standing where he was. Putting his back pack down on the last step he took a seat. There was no way he was going to go home right away knowing his father was there eagerly waiting for him.

He had no where else to go, so he decided to just sit there at the school and stall for time. He sat for a while watching all the students gather onto their respective buses and cars and depart from the school. He watched as all the buses, including his own left the school and before long he was almost completely alone. Sonic eyed his surroundings and took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

He suddenly felt very lonely, sitting there all by himself. He didn't really have any friends to talk to or play with and that disheartened him greatly. Feeling bored, he grabbed a small stick and began poking at pebbles on the ground pushing them around with the stick. His ears twitched and the sounds of voices grabbed his attention.

Looking up, he saw his principal talking to the same woman he saw earlier in his class. Then something else caught his eye, standing directly behind the woman was a little girl. Sonic blinked, she was a petite, pink hedgehog who looked to be around the same age as him. She had dark, forest green jade eyes and her quills curved around her face above her shoulders. She was wearing a tattered light blue dress with a matching headband and large bow; her curly bangs hung loosely over her forehead.

Sonic just sat there dumbfounded as he watched the scene taking place in front of him. She looked around her surroundings shyly as she hugged her worn teddy bear tightly, her purple back pack hanging loosely over her shoulder. Sonic couldn't help but notice the sadness apparent in her jade eyes. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood up and ventured closer trying to get a better look.

Sonic hid behind a small tree a few feet away from the talking adults. He was at a close enough distance now to be able to hear what they were saying. The principal looked over at the small girl and bent down slightly.

"Are you excited about starting school here?" He asked with a welcoming smile. The little girl looked at him shyly, hiding half her face with her teddy bear. Without speaking a word the little girl nodded her head.

"She's a little shy." Said the Manx woman. He nodded in understanding.

"Once you start school here you'll make lots of friends." He said encouragingly.

"Thank you for everything Mr. Watson...it means a lot to us." The Manx woman said shaking his hand.

"It's no problem at all Ms. Reeves...you know the school will do anything to help out."

Sonic really wanted to hear the little girl's voice, in fact he wanted to go over there and try talking to her at that very moment; impatient he shifted his weight from leg to leg. The little pink hedgehog looked around and noticed a small blue figure standing behind a tree. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the little boy intently; Sonic noticed her staring at him and felt his cheeks heat up. For a moment he just stood there mesmerized, staring back at her.

Sonic bashfully raised one hand and gave her a small wave, smiling. She moved her hands away from her face, dropping one hand holding her teddy to the side. Sonic was finally able to see her full face which now wore a bright smile. She giggled suddenly and gave him a small wave back with her free hand.

Ms. Reeves took hold of the little hedgehog's hand and began to lead her away towards the parking lot. Sonic frowned, he didn't even get to talk to her yet. As she was being pulled away, she kept turning around to look back at the little boy. Sonic stood watching as she was placed into a small car which was now slowly driving away.

* * *

><p>Jules had come home early just as he said he would. He stood alone in the house brooding in his dark thoughts.<p>

"_That __little __shit __should __have __been __home __by __now...__" _He said to himself. He knew Sonic was purposely making himself late. It would only make things worse for him in the end, as his father planned to worsen his punishment today just for coming home later than scheduled. He began pacing the room, his dark thoughts getting to the better of him.

He then walked into his bedroom, opening the closet door. He opened up a brief case that held a medium sized box inside. He smiled maliciously knowing full well what lay hidden within the box's contents. Carefully opening the lid, he unveiled a medium sized hand gun; he picked it up gently holding it in a firm, steady grip. For a moment he just knelt on the floor examining the gun he held in his hand. He chuckled darkly to himself.

"_I'd __gladly __shoot __the __little __bastard...if __it __wasn't __for __Bernadette.__" _He said to himself while admiring the gun he held in his hand. He stroked it's confines with his free hand as if it were a rare treasure. His dark thoughts of harming the little hedgehog consumed his better judgment.

"_Killing him with this would be to easy...besides...who else can I take my anger out on?"_

"_What __if...I __killed __him __today...?__" _He thought darkly. His face had the look of a complete madman.

He stood up holding the gun in his hand and looked at himself in the full length mirror of their bedroom.

"_I could easily dispose of his body...and hide all evidence...I even know a great spot to dump him."_

His dark thoughts were now racing through his mind at light speed. _"__What __about __the __police? __I'd __be __the __first __they __would __suspect...__" _He held his free hand to his head as if his thoughts suddenly sickened him.

"_No...no...I can't do this...I may hate him...but he is still my son..."_

"_Bernadette __would __never __forgive __me...she'd __leave __me...__" _He walked back to the closet and placed the hand gun back into its respective box and brief case. He tucked the brief case in the far back corner of the closet, hiding it amongst clothes and boxes.

* * *

><p>Sonic had begun to walk home slowly, stalling for time as much as possible. He could not control the anxiety and fear that was beginning to build up inside him as he walked through his isolated neighborhood. His hands were clammy and he could feel his teeth chattering. He sighed trying to keep his mind off of his father and the possible beating that awaited him.<p>

He thought about the mysterious little girl he had met earlier that day. He wondered if he would see her again; surely he would, his principal had said she would be going to his school. He smiled at the thought of her being in his class.

"_I __wonder __what __her __name __is...__" _He thought, while kicking a tin can as he walked. He smiled sheepishly as he remembered her face and smile. For some reason she made him feel warm inside, he hoped they could become good friends.

He frowned when he realized he was standing in front of his house now. His father's vehicle was parked in the driveway.

"_Daddy's __home...__" _He swallowed hard, trying to control his unsteady, rapid heart beat. He felt himself shaking and he tried to calm himself as he walked apprehensively towards the front door.

He turned the door knob and poked his head inside; he didn't see anyone and the living room lights were turned off. He looked around nervously, slightly confused, and quietly walked inside shutting the door behind him.

"_Maybe __daddy __went __out...or...he's __taking __a __nap.__" _Sonic hoped. He stood in the doorway afraid to move, he wanted to race to his bedroom and lock the door but he was afraid of his father hearing him. He balled his clammy hands into a fist and held in a deep breath as he began to walk slowly further into the house.

He edged himself closer towards the staircase; the room was so quiet he could hear his own heart pounding in his chest. As he got closer a shimmer of hope flowed within him as he thought he would make it up there in one piece.

"Going somewhere kiddo?" A dark voice said within the shadows.

Sonic turned around slowly in fear, his body trembling.

"I-I-I..." He stuttered, trying to remember how to speak. His father walked slowly closer to him, emerging out of the shadows cast in the room.

"I...I w-was...j-just g-g-going to go i-into my room d-daddy..." He managed, fiddling with his fingers nervously.

His father stared at his terrified son with his hazel eyes, devoid of any emotion. He actually enjoyed seeing Sonic become this fearful and found it to be like a game. Sonic debated whether he should try running or not, if he bolted for the door he may be able to escape in time.

"You're late." Jules said coldly, his eyes filled with pure hatred. "And you know how daddy doesn't like waiting."

Sonic gulped. He was to afraid to even move, his body was frozen in place.

"I-I'm s-sorry d-daddy...I m-missed m-my bus..." He stuttered, trying to muster himself to move.

"Isn't that a shame..." His father said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He walked closer to Sonic, circling him as if he were an animal stalking its prey. Sonic couldn't control his shaking, he looked around nervously trying to think of what to do. His father laughed maliciously, his eyes locked on his son.

"You're so pathetic." He said, smiling sadistically.

"I don't know why you're mother even wastes her time on the likes of you." Sonic felt a stabbing at his heart as he took in the hurtful words. He looked down at the floor, his ears pinned back.

"I-I'm s-sorry...d-daddy..." He whispered softly. His father just smirked.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be you little shit." He said darkly, edging closer towards his trembling son.

Sonic looked up at his father fearfully, knowing full well what was about to happen next. His father suddenly struck him in the face and Sonic fell backwards to the floor whimpering in pain. He held a hand up to his already sore left cheek, trying to hold back his tears.

"GET UP!" His father yelled. Sonic struggled to stand, feeling disoriented. He felt the air get knocked out of him as he felt another blow this time to his stomach. He leaned over and coughed clutching his stomach. Jules smiled at the sight.

"You're punishment will be even longer today for making me wait." He said while watching Sonic, who was gasping for air.

Sonic began to panic, something didn't feel right, even for this. Wincing, he looked up at his father to see he was holding his belt. Sonic's eyes widened in fear, he looked ahead past his father to see the bathroom.

"_Should __I __try?__" _He asked himself.

"_Will I be able to run there in time?" _

He was terrified to try, but he had to get away from his father somehow. He summoned as much bravery he could muster and in one quick motion bolted for the bathroom in hopes of locking himself inside. Jules was shocked for a moment, not expecting this and quickly went after him.

Sonic managed to get halfway to his destination before he felt a firm hold tug on the back of his back pack which he was still wearing. He felt himself get pulled back and thrown into a wall; wincing he tried to keep from collapsing to the floor, hot tears now flowing down his soft cheeks.

He felt another sharp pain in his stomach as he received another sharp blow from his father. He closed his eyes and yelped in pain.

"You're so weak!" His father said harshly, hitting him again. Sonic whimpered and began to sob, he was not sure how much more he could take of this. He suddenly felt a strange liquid pouring from his tiny nose which began to drip down to his upper lip. Confused he touched his upper lip gently and looked at the crimson liquid on his fingers. It was blood, he was bleeding.

Before he could even react he felt a firm hand around his small throat. He began to whimper as the hand tightened its grip. Sonic lifted his hands to try and pry the hand off his throat, kicking his little feet that now hovered above the floor.

"You little bastard..." His father breathed, sounding more sinister than Sonic had ever heard him sound before. As his airway became constricted he began to panic; he continued to struggle, beginning to feel light headed and dizzy.

"If you say anything to your mother about this...I'll kill you." He said in a low voice.

He began to shake Sonic. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" Sonic felt weak, he could no longer breath and everything around him was beginning to blur. He was thrown to the hard floor and he began to cough violently gasping for air.

He lay on the floor weak and unable to move; he tried to open his eyes but could not find the strength to. He began to feel sharp pain against his back as he received his fathers lashes from the belt. He sobbed hopelessly wishing for the pain to end. His face was now stained with hot, salty tears and the small amounts of blood from his nose.

Everything began to blur out of focus and darken; Sonic felt to tired to try and resist any longer. He lay there with thoughts of his mother flowing through his mind; flashbacks of wonderful memories replaying in his head. He managed to smile weakly at the fond memories, remembering his mother's warmth and tender kisses. Another image suddenly came to play, a mysterious little girl with beautiful jade green eyes and a soft smile. Then within an instant everything had gone completely black.


	3. Big Trouble

_**I'm sorry for the very late update. I know I said I'd be able to update a lot sooner but I was wrong. This chapter was very lengthy due to having a lot of content packed into it. It took me a very long time to write mostly because of being busy with school. This was probably the longest chapter I've ever written so far. The next few chapters will be updated a lot sooner though. Again, thank you so much everyone for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me and help encourage me to continue writing. I have moments where I feel discouraged and think my writing isn't good enough to be honest so the reviews really bring a smile to my face. :)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three – Big Trouble<strong>

* * *

><p>Bernadette had come home late that evening much to her dismay. She could not help the strange feeling of dread she felt all day since she dropped Sonic off at school. When she had come home she found Sonic already asleep, dressed in his pajamas in his bed. Jules had ordered pizza and said he and Sonic ate while watching a movie and Sonic had fallen asleep on the couch.<p>

She quietly walked into the little hedgehog's bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed; she watched him sleep soundly for some time lost in her thoughts. Something simply felt off and she couldn't put her finger on why. She sighed. _"__I'm __probably __reading __to __much __into __this.__"_

She caressed her son's cheek softly and smiled. "Goodnight sweetheart." She whispered while bending down and kissing him gently on his forehead. She quietly got up and left the room, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

She climbed into bed quietly trying not to disturb her sleeping husband. She was happy she was able to take off work tomorrow; she planned first thing in the morning to call the school to set up an appointment for a meeting. Soon, she'll find out what's happening to her son and be able to fix it then everything can go back to normal. She gently wrapped her arms around her husband and snuggled close to him.

Jules stirred and opened his eyes slowly to see his wife in his arms. He smiled and bent down gently kissing her. Tonight he had difficulty facing her and making up an excuse for Sonic; he had gone beyond to far this time. He couldn't control himself and before he realized it the little hedgehog was laying unconscious on the living room floor.

He had to act fast, he quickly picked up the little boy and cleaned him, hiding any evidence of foul play; he changed him out of his clothes, throwing them lazily into a hamper and put him in a pair of clean pajamas. He placed Sonic in his bed and pulled the covers over him; afterwards, Jules spent the next couple of hours rehearsing his story for Bernadette.

He sighed slowly as he caressed his sleeping wife in his arms. He loved her with such intensity it would seem as if he was on the border of obsession. He didn't know what he'd do without her by his side and he shuddered at the thought. Whenever he threatened Sonic he'd hurt her, he knew it was an empty threat. Hurting her was the very last thing he ever wanted to do.

He held her possessively in his arms as he felt her stirring. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled at him; he kissed her lips softly and hugged her tightly. For a while they continued to kiss each other passionately, embracing one another. After a while Jules pulled away and looked deeply into Bernadette's eyes.

"We'll always be together...won't we?" He asked with a bit of desperation in his voice. She nodded, hugging him tighter.

"Of course we will...no matter what." She kissed him gently to reassure him.

"I love you Berny...you know that don't you?" He asked, his hand caressing her cheek. She placed her hand on his and smiled, her eyes lighting up.

"I love you too Jules..." She whispered, sitting up slightly to kiss his cheek. He smiled contentedly, his lips cascading down on hers as he laid her slowly back down.

* * *

><p>Sonic tossed and turned in his sleep. His body was covered in perspiration as he tried to escape the never ending nightmare playing over and over again in his mind. He had been asleep since that late afternoon when he had blacked out. The little hedgehog began to cry as violent visions flashed through his mind.<p>

"No..." He whimpered.

"No...stop it...stop..." He cried, kicking his feet in his sleep as if struggling with an invisible intruder.

"Help...me..." His movements began to increase as the nightmare worsened. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks and his body began to shiver.

"M-mommy..." He began to shout in his sleep, his arms reaching out for her.

"MOMMY!" He screamed again as he woke from his nightmare and instantly sat up. He looked around his dark bedroom terrified and disoriented; still not realizing where he was and what was going on he began to sob hysterically calling out for his mother.

Bernadette was violently awoken to the sounds of her son screaming and crying. She looked at Jules to see he was still sound asleep; she quickly climbed out of bed and rushed towards her son's bedroom.

"Sonic!" She yelled as she burst through the door rushing over to his crying form.

"Baby what's wrong!" She asked worriedly, grabbing him and pulling him into a warm, strong embrace. Sonic simply sobbed into his mother's shoulder, hugging her as tightly as he possibly could.

"Shh...it's okay..." She soothed, rubbing his back gently and kissing the top of his head. He was trembling uncontrollably and she could feel his runny nose on her night gown.

"Everything is going to be okay..." She cooed while rocking him slowly. His sobs began quieting down and she ran her fingers through his quills. She rubbed the back of his head gently, knowing how it easily calmed him when she did so. For a couple of minutes they just stayed like this, nothing in the world could tear them apart.

"M-mommy..." Sonic mumbled while hugging his mother. Bernadette laid down on his bed and pulled him close to her. "Shh...mommy's not going anywhere." She said soothingly, still rubbing the back of his head; he cuddled closer to her, his heart beat calm and steady.

"Y-you promise?" He asked sullenly. Tears threatening his eyes once again. She hugged him tighter and kissed his forehead.

"I promise..." She cradled him in her arms; he closed his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath.

"I had a nightmare you left...I couldn't find you anywhere..." He made sure to leave out any parts of the dream pertaining to his father. She caressed his cheek lovingly and stared deep into her son's emerald green eyes.

"Sweetheart...I will never leave you..." She kissed his cheek affectionately and nuzzled her nose with his.

"Mommy loves you too much." Sonic managed a weary smile. He kissed his mother on her cheek.

"I love you too." Finally after so long, Sonic felt at complete ease; he felt so safe and relaxed in his mother's arms. He wished they could stay this way forever. She smiled at him wearily, her eyes feeling heavy.

"You need to go back to sleep...otherwise you'll be tired tomorrow." She whispered. Without a word Sonic did as his mother told him and closed his eyes. After a few minutes Bernadette attempted to go back to her bed when she felt his tiny hand clasp in hers.

"Mommy...don't go...please stay with me..." He mumbled drowsily. Fatigue was taking over him and he was having difficulty staying awake.

"Alright...I will." She whispered, exhausted. She laid back down next to her son and pulled the blankets over them. Bernadette closed her eyes as she began to rub her son's back gently; Sonic snuggled closer to her, smiling softly. Within minutes both hedgehog's were sleeping soundly.

* * *

><p>Bernadette was busy cleaning the house. Just as she had planned, first thing that morning she had called Sonic's school to schedule a conference with his teacher Mrs. Kennedy. She would be able to meet with his teacher later that afternoon. She felt restless, on the one hand she couldn't wait to find out what was happening to her son, but on the other she was very apprehensive about it.<p>

Sonic had no idea she was planning to meet with his teacher that day. Last thing she wanted was to upset him or make him feel he's done something wrong. She yawned as she walked into the kitchen and began putting clean dishes away. Last night was not an easy night for her, she's never seen Sonic that shaken up over a nightmare before.

What made her feel worse about it, was the fact it had to do with her leaving him all alone.

"_That __will __never __happen.__" _She thought to herself as she continued putting clean dishes in their respective cabinets. She turned and looked at the refrigerator and smiled at the new picture she placed on it with a magnet. Sonic had made her a picture yesterday at school; in the picture, she and Sonic are holding hands under a large rainbow. They stood in front of a small brown house surrounded by a field filled with flowers with a bright sun smiling down at them. She couldn't help but smile, it was to adorable not to. She also couldn't help but notice the absence of Jules in all of his artwork he brought home.

She found it odd but never really thought much of it. _"__Maybe __it's __a __guy __thing.__" _She wondered as she left the kitchen to go do the laundry; she entered Sonic's bedroom to gather his hamper deciding she'll do his wash first. As she entered the laundry room she couldn't help but smile while remembering the conversation she had with her son that morning.

"_You never did tell me how your day was yesterday." She said while pouring him some orange juice._

"_Well...school was pretty boring..." He said honestly while putting two hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. Bernadette couldn't help but smile as she took her seat across from him._

"_Nothing interesting at all?" She asked playfully, while grabbing a piece of toast. He looked up at the ceiling in deep thought for a moment then a sheepish grin formed on his small face._

"_Well...maybe just one thing..." He said still grinning. "I met a new girl yesterday..." He felt himself starting to feel all warm inside. Bernadette looked at her son intrigued; Sonic made a friend, and a girl at that._

"_Oh really...?" She asked curiously, Sonic felt his cheeks getting hot. _

"_What's her name?" Sonic frowned, a look of disappointment evident on his face._

"_I don't know..." He admitted. _

"_Don't worry...I'm sure you'll find out today." She reassured him, his smile returned to his face._

"_Mommy...if we become friends can she come over to play?" She smiled lovingly at him._

"_Of course she can!" He giggled happily as he continued eating his breakfast._

"When did my son become a little Casanova?" She laughed to herself as she had begun removing his clothes from the hamper and putting them into the washing machine. Her smile slowly faded, however, when she noticed something odd on one of his shirts.

She looked at it more closely and gasped. There were small droplets of what appeared to be blood on his little shirt. She examined the shirt for a couple of minutes completely perplexed; she then realized this was the very shirt Sonic had worn just yesterday.

"_How __did __this __happen...?__" _She thought, beginning to worry.

"_Why __didn't __Sonic __say __anything?__" _She held his little shirt close to her chest, then another thought came to her.

"_Why __didn't __Jules __say __anything...?__" _She stood there for a few moments frozen in place, her mind was racing. _"__If __Jules __noticed __this...surely __he __would __have __told __me...__" _She felt her heart pounding in her chest and great anxiety and worry took over her.

"_Something __happened __to __Sonic __yesterday...__" _She felt tears threaten her eyes as she stared at the crimson stains on his shirt. Unsure what to do Bernadette leaned against the washing machine and dryer in deep thought. Now everything that happened last night made sense to her; something terrible had to of happened to him yesterday but what?

She found herself pacing the laundry room, she was tempted to call up her husband and ask him if he had any idea about this. If so, why didn't he say anything to her about it? She felt so frustrated, her son is keeping something from her and has been receiving injuries and now this. It's a good thing she's going to his school today because she demanded answers.

She decided she would have Sonic tell her the truth today whether it be during the conference or at home. She could no longer be patient and wait for him to be honest. She couldn't bare this anymore, she began biting her nails. She loved her son more than anything and seeing him getting hurt is breaking her heart.

"_I __can't __take __this __anymore...__" _She whispered out loud to herself as she collapsed to the floor, her back against the washing machine. She hugged Sonic's little shirt close to her heart as she began to sob hysterically. _"__I __need __to __know __what __is __going __on...I __have __to __find __out __today...I __just __have __to.__"_

* * *

><p>Sonic sat at his desk looking around the classroom in disappointment. The little girl he had seen yesterday was not there nor did he see her on the playground or in the cafeteria.<p>

"_Where __could __she __have __gone?__" _He wondered. He fidgeted in his seat impatiently; he didn't really like sitting down for to long. He had to much energy and felt the need to get up and run around.

"Alright class are you ready for a fun new art project?" Mrs. Kennedy exclaimed excitedly. The children all exchanged excited looks on their faces as they waited to hear what their teacher had in mind.

"Since Parent's Day is coming up, I thought it would be fun if you children drew some pictures as a surprise for your parents."

"It could be anything you want, but each picture is dedicated to each family member." She explained giving an example.

She passed out construction paper, glue, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, and stencils. Sonic was not particularly thrilled about this new assignment; sure he loved the idea of drawing another picture for his mother, but his father...he wasn't quite sure how he was going to be able to do this.

"Don't forget to write something nice to your parent in each picture!"

He sighed miserably; there was absolutely nothing nice he could write to his father. He looked around watching all the other children excitedly working on their artwork while talking to their friends then looked back down at his blank construction paper.

"Is everything alright Sonic?" Mrs. Kennedy asked hovering over him. Sonic nodded while picking up some crayons; he decided he'll draw a picture for his mother first then figure out what he can do about his father. As he finished his mother's picture he smiled proudly at his work. Setting the picture off to the side he looked at the clean, blank sheet of construction paper and frowned.

"_Now __I __have __to __draw __something __for __daddy...__" _For a few minutes he just stared blankly at the paper; when it came to his father not a single nice thought came to mind. He decided to try and pretend everything was normal, like he was just like all the other kids in his class.

He tried drawing nice pictures with rainbows and sunny skies but suddenly crumpled the paper in frustration. He simply couldn't do it, whenever he tried he just found himself thinking of all the beatings his father had given him and all the harsh words he's said to him.

Sonic found his mind wandering on to what happened yesterday. He had never felt so terrified in his entire life; his father, for the first time threatened to kill him and his beating was the worst he's ever had it. What disturbed him the most though, was when he tried figuring out how he managed to get in his bed. The very last thing he remembered was laying on the living room floor getting hit with the belt.

Did his father carry him to his bedroom? He shuddered at the thought. He hasn't seen his father after the beating and was very afraid to. The fear he felt for his father had grown to an unreasonable size since that day. He was honestly unsure how he would face him now and he felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it; he was lucky his father had already left for work this morning but what will he do when he came home?

Sonic felt uneasy and noticed his hands were beginning to shake a little. He looked around the classroom and noticed half the class was just about finished with their pictures. Suddenly feeling angry and frustrated he picked up the red and black crayons; as if in a trance he began drawing a horrible picture, one that represented how he truly felt about his father and how his father felt about him.

Without realizing what he had done, he felt satisfied with his ugly, grotesque, work of art.

"Alright class pass up your drawings!" Mrs. Kennedy announced to the class. Sonic took his two pictures and passed them to the front, his mothers picture laying on top. Sonic leaned back in his chair leisurely as his teacher began looking through their papers at her desk.

Her eyes widened in shock and she let out a small gasp when she came across a particular picture.

"S-SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!" She yelled out loud causing all the students to turn their heads and look in his direction. He jumped at the tone of voice his teacher had towards him and he immediately felt nervous. He found himself sinking low in his chair, ears pinned back, hoping to turn invisible at that very moment.

"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" She shrieked, Sonic shakily sat up and moved himself out of his desk chair and walked slowly towards her desk.

"C-coming..." He managed as he felt the many eyes burning into him. As he walked up to her desk she showed him the drawing he had made for his father.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked him, his eyes widened.

"U-uh..." He stuttered. "I-I don't know..." He lied, rubbing the back of his head nervously. She got up from her seat quickly and left the room for a minute. Sonic stood anxiously by her desk unsure of what was going on. Moments later she came back into the room with another teacher.

"Class Mrs. Austin will watch you for a couple of minutes...please be on your best behavior!" She called out. She then turned her attention to the nervous blue hedgehog standing next to her desk; she grabbed his hand and began tugging him towards the door.

"W-what's going on?" He asked nervously.

"We're going to the principals office." She said pulling him, his eyes widened in fear and he felt an urgent need to run away.

He had never been in trouble before. What's going to happen? Will his mother find out? How could he of been so stupid he scolded himself. He really wasn't thinking when he drew that picture...but he couldn't pretend and draw rainbows and sunny skies. For once he had to be honest. He felt Mrs. Kennedy quicken her pace and saw the main office come into view. He gulped, feeling his hands getting clammy and butterflies dancing in his stomach.

* * *

><p>Bernadette felt uneasy all day since she did the laundry. She was in the midst of getting ready to head to Sonic's school for the conference when the phone began to ring; she quickly ran to the ringing phone and answered it.<p>

"Hello?"

"Yes...is this Mrs. Hedgehog?"

"Yes...w-who may I be speaking with?" She felt a bit anxious.

"This is the main office of Station Square Elementary School and we are calling in regards to your son Sonic."

Bernadette's eyes went wide and she felt her heart beat begin to increase.

"Is everything okay? What's happened? W-" She was cut off by the secretary.

"There was an incident in the classroom earlier and he was brought down to principal Watson's office." As if reading the worried mother's thoughts the secretary spoke again.

"Don't worry Mrs. Hedgehog your son is fine...but we need you to come down here as soon as possible."

"I-I'm on my way...tell my son I'll be right there!" She quickly hung up and grabbed her car keys and headed out the door. She drove in a panic, her thoughts were all over the place.

"_So was it true? He's possibly being bullied by kids at school?" _

"_Maybe __he __got __into __a __fight? __Maybe __Sonic __finally __decided __to __stand __up __for __himself __and __the __kids __ganged __up __on __him.__" _She felt her heart in her throat as she tried to calm herself down. Today was indeed the day she would find out the truth.

She felt a pang of guilt in her heart when she thought about Jules. Earlier, in the laundry room for a split second she had suspicions he knew more then he was letting on. How could she possibly think that of him? She knew he loved Sonic just as much as she did.

* * *

><p>Sonic sat anxiously in the main office. He was looking down at the floor, feet swinging back and forth at a steady pace, while fiddling with his fingers nervously. He regretted getting so frustrated and drawing that picture. His ears pinned down as sadness and anxiety took over him. He watched as teachers and faculty members darted back and forth from room to room.<p>

"_Now __what's __gonna __happen?__" _He wondered.

"_Mommy's __gonna __be __upset __with __me...__" _He felt his heartbeat increase and felt an urge to cry.

"Sonic Hedgehog?" The principal called out while exiting his office. Sonic looked up shyly and nodded his head.

"Will you please come in?" Sonic slid out of his chair slowly and walked up to his principal apprehensively. Mr. Watson ushered the little boy inside his office and shut the door quietly. He pointed to the chair in front of his desk for Sonic to have a seat.

"A-am I...in trouble?" He asked nervously, the butterflies in his stomach jolting at an incredible rate. Mr. Watson shook his head.

"No son...you're not...but I do need to speak with you about what happened in class."

"I...I didn't mean to draw it...I-I..." Sonic felt hot tears forming in his eyes and looked down at his lap fighting to hold them in. The young bear looked at the frightened boy and frowned.

"You do not realize how serious this is..." Sonic refused to look up at his principal.

"Do you know you can get your daddy into a lot of trouble for drawing something like that?" Sonic could no longer hold his tears back and began to sob quietly, his body trembling. He nodded his head weakly.

"Why did you draw this?" Mr. Watson held up the horrible picture for Sonic to see. Sonic shrugged his shoulders trying to keep his gaze away from Mr. Watson.

"I-I don't know..." He lied, the principal eyed the little hedgehog sternly, knowing full well he was lying to him. Kids do not normally draw stuff like this without a logical reason; he's dealt with several child abuse cases to know that this was not a normal drawing for a five year old to be making.

"Tell me the truth." Sonic's eyes got wide and he began to panic, he looked from side to side trying to think of what to say.

"I-I can't tell you..." He felt his hands becoming clammy and he tried his hardest to stay calm, taking in a deep breath.

"And why is that?" Mr. Watson eyed the sobbing hedgehog closely.

Feeling defeated by this interrogation Sonic looked back down at his hands.

"B-because of m-mommy..." Mr. Watson's eyes softened. _"__Now __we're __getting __somewhere.__"_

"What will happen to your mommy if you tell me?" Sonic didn't dare look up, he remained silent.

"Sonic!" Mr. Watson said in a higher tone. Sonic flinched slightly and shook his head from side to side.

"Sonic...I need you to tell me." He said more sternly. Sonic refused and shook his head again.

"I already told you...I can't tell you..." Sonic said in a low voice, almost inaudible.

Mr. Watson let out a frustrated sigh as he stared at the frightened, sobbing hedgehog before him. He could easily see the fear and hurt in the child's eyes and knew this was a serious situation. For how long has this been going on? That is what he really wanted answers for.

Moments passed in silence, all that could be heard were the sounds of the little boy sobbing quietly. In a soft, understanding voice, Mr. Watson spoke again.

"I promise you...if you tell me...I won't tell anyone." Sonic took his words in and thought it over for a moment.

"Y-you promise?" He asked unsure if he should trust him with his secret. The bear nodded sincerely.

"You have my word."

Sonic wiped the tears out of his eyes and sniffed, his emerald eyes meeting his principals dark brown ones. He nodded his head slowly.

"A-alright..." Sonic whispered, Mr. Watson smiled softly.

"Please...tell me...what will happen to your mommy if you tell anyone?" Sonic felt his heart racing and he let out an exhausted sigh. He clasped both his hands together and looked back down sadly.

"If...if I tell anyone...a-anything...d-daddy...will..." He trailed off, having great difficulty finishing the sentence.

"Your daddy will what?" He asked, concerned. Sonic felt his heart sink, he looked back up at his principal.

"D-daddy...will hurt m-mommy..." He felt another tear roll silently down his soft muzzle and he wiped it hurriedly. Mr. Watson stared at Sonic with a serious expression, one that read pain and concern; it sickened him to think anyone would harm a child and frighten them with horrible threats.

"Your mommy means a lot to you doesn't she?" He said softly, it was more of a statement than a question. Sonic sniffed and nodded his head. Mr. Watson paused for a moment before daring to ask his next question.

"Does...your father...hurt you?" Sonic felt fresh tears forming in his eyes as he looked up at his principal, he didn't even bother to try and hold them back anymore. He nodded slowly, feeling a bit ashamed of admitting his secret.

"When?" Mr. Watson asked gently, he felt his own heart breaking at the scene transpiring before him. Sonic was quiet for a long time before speaking again.

"All the time..." He finally admitted. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He buried his face in his hands and began to weep. Mr. Watson got up from his chair and handed the sobbing hedgehog some tissues while rubbing his back.

"Everything is going to be okay Sonic..." He soothed. "After today...your father will never hurt you again." He said firmly. Sonic's head shot up and he looked at his principal with hope in his eyes.

"R-really?" He felt a bit apprehensive. "B-but..." There was a knock on the door suddenly preventing Sonic from finishing his sentence. He felt mixed emotions now, he felt safe and hopeful at the thought of his father never hurting him again, but at the same time...he felt so scared.

Mr. Watson opened the door to reveal a secretary standing in front of him.

"I'm sorry to intrude...but...the mother's here." She whispered, turning her attention to the little boy sitting in the chair.

"Alright...send her in please."

Within moments Bernadette appeared through the doorway. Sonic's eyes went wide, he had no idea his mother was going to be here. He felt the butterflies returning to his stomach, he did not want his mother to know his secret.

"Mommy?" He asked, confused. Bernadette turned her attention to her son sitting in the office chair.

"Sonic!" She rushed over to her son and hugged him tightly. "Sweetheart...what's going on? What happened?" She asked him while rubbing his back. Sonic laid his head on her shoulder, he felt so tired and weak from all the crying and his head was now throbbing. He hugged her back tightly as he felt fresh new tears forming in his eyes.

Mr. Watson shut the door slowly and walked back to his desk. Bernadette took a seat with her son sitting in her lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked at the principal with a confused and concerned expression.

"I'm sorry to of inconvenienced you Mrs. Hedgehog..." He began slowly. She looked at the bear desperate for answers.

"Please..." She interrupted him. "I just want to know what is happening to my son." He looked at her for a moment thinking of how to break the news to her.

"What do you think is going on?" He suddenly asked. She looked at him confused.

"W-what do you mean?"

"This is something that has been ongoing for a while now." She looked down at her son as she cradled him in her arms, rubbing the back of his head softly. She nodded sadly. "Yes...yes I know it has." She answered.

"You do?" He asked, she nodded. "I've noticed changes in my son's demeanor and behavior lately...and I know he's keeping something from me. Whenever I ask him to tell me what it is though...he won't tell me."

He nodded in understanding, she continued. "I've been really upset and worried about him lately...I've recently noticed him having bruises and I just don't know what to make of it." She felt tears brimming in her emerald green eyes.

"I just don't know what to think anymore..." She whispered. "I...I can't take it anymore." She suddenly said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's breaking my heart...I don't want to see my son like this anymore...he's been quiet...having nightmares..." Sonic hugged his mother tighter as he buried his face into her.

"I've been wanting answers for a while now Mr. Watson...I had made an appointment for a conference today...only to be called by the school telling me something has happened."

"Please..." She begged. "What's going on?"

"Is he being bullied and picked on? Is it another student hurting him?" Mr. Watson raised a hand to stop her questions.

"I'll tell you in one moment but I must ask you this first." He said folding his arms and leaning closer to her.

"Have you discussed what you've just said to me with your husband?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Well...yes...but what does Jules have to do with any of this?"

Mr. Watson sighed as he picked up the drawing Sonic had made and then looked back at Bernadette.

"I think you should have a look at this..." He said handing the drawing over to her. She looked at him confused taking the paper from his hands. Her eyes widened when she glanced at the contents of the drawing and her gaze immediately went from the paper, to her son, and back to Mr. Watson in pure shock and disbelief.

"W-what...?" She felt completely speechless.

"T-this can't be..."

"It can..." He interrupted. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, she could not control the rapid tears flowing from her eyes.

"Today in class the teacher had asked the students to make a drawing dedicated to each family member..." He informed her. "That picture there...was what Sonic had drawn...for his father." Bernadette held her hand over her mouth as she felt herself beginning to sob hysterically.

"No...that can't be right..." She said in complete disbelief. "Sonic would never draw anything like that...I have so many pictures at home that he's drawn...none of them are..." She broke off, finding it difficult to speak.

"I know this is hard for you...Mrs. Hedgehog." He said sympathetically.

"The source of the problem...is your husband." He said cautiously, Bernadette felt physically ill. She grabbed a handful of tissues as she wiped her eyes and hugged her son tighter.

"I-I can't believe it..." She whispered.

"Jules...he wouldn't hurt a fly...he's a gentle man...he loves Sonic just as much as I do..."

"Are you trying to convince me that or yourself?" He said boldly, she narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"My husband does not beat our son!" She quickly said exasperated.

She felt heartbroken at the words being said to her. She loved her husband and loved her son and could not believe Jules would do something like this. He would never hit Sonic or lie to her, that was not the type of man she married.

"Why don't you ask Sonic?" He suggested. "I believe this is something you should hear from him."

Bernadette looked back down at her son who was squeezing her tightly. Sonic was afraid, afraid to face his mother...afraid of the truth. He felt her hands on his shoulders. She stared at her trembling son, afraid to hear what he was about to tell her. This was not the answer she had wanted to hear or anticipated on.

"Sonic..." She said softly while gently pulling him away from her. Sonic looked down, refusing to look his mother in the face. She lifted his chin gently and forced him to face her.

"Sweetheart...please...this is important...you need to tell me the truth." Sonic broke away from her and shook his head slowly. He turned and looked back at Mr. Watson.

"You said you wouldn't tell anybody..." He felt slightly betrayed. Mr. Watson's heart sank at the situation playing out in front of him.

"You have to be the one to tell her Sonic..." Sonic looked away, he can't tell her...he just can't.

"Baby..." Her eyes brimmed with tears and she worked hard to stay steady and prevent them from flowing. Taking a deep breath she asked a question she never thought she would ever hear herself say.

"Sonic...does...daddy hit you...?" She whispered just loud enough for Sonic and Mr. Watson to hear. Sonic looked down at the floor remaining silent.

"Sonic..." She began to sob, pleading with him. "Answer mommy's question."

Sonic shook his head defiantly. "No mommy...I can't..."

"It's okay to tell her Sonic...nobody is going to get hurt...everything is going to be okay." Mr. Watson said encouragingly. Bernadette looked over at him dumbstruck for a moment. Sonic remained silent, refusing to tell his mother his secret.

Bernadette squeezed his shoulders slightly and shook him gently. "Sonic!" She raised her voice. Sonic flinched, he's never seen his mother so angry at him or heard her ever raise her voice at him. He suddenly felt his will power deflating and his tears returning to his eyes.

Bernadette's eye's softened. "Please...I need you to tell me the truth." She begged him.

Sonic was silent for a moment. He was having an inner battle with himself; he's been wanting to tell his mother the truth for months and now he has no choice. He felt so afraid and unsure of himself. He just kept remembering his fathers words. He didn't want anything to happen to his mother, he was staying quiet to protect her.

Bernadette asked the question again, desperation apparent in her voice. She wiped a few tears out of Sonic's eyes before asking once again.

"Does...daddy hurt you?" Sonic felt the protective wall he built around himself crumbling down as his tears began pouring from his eyes. Bernadette had never felt so heartbroken in all her life. Sonic looked deep into his mothers eyes, eyes so much like his own, and nodded slowly.

"Yes..." He whispered in a low, almost inaudible voice. Bernadette pulled her son into a deep hug and began to sob hopelessly. For a few minutes both hedgehog's just sobbed hysterically while hugging each other tightly.

"Why...?" She whispered, rubbing the back of his head. "Why didn't you tell me...? Why did you wait so long...?" She felt like this was all her fault. She should have been at home more...She should have looked into things more closely...She felt so blind and oblivious...so helpless.

Sonic sobbed into his mothers shoulder. He felt parched and his lips were dry, he felt the urgent need for water and his head was now throbbing.

"B-because...if I-I t-told y-you the t-truth...d-daddy would h-hurt you..." he stuttered. She looked at her son incredulously. She could not believe what she was hearing. She pulled him away from her and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Daddy said he would hurt me?" She asked him, concerned. She could not believe Jules would threaten let alone beat their son right behind her back. This was a very painful revelation. Sonic simply nodded.

"When does daddy hurt you?" She asked him softly, she needed to know now that the truth was out. He looked down to the ground. He couldn't believe he was telling his mother his secret.

"A-almost e-everyday..." He said sullen. She bit her lower lip.

"Then...your bruises that night...and your shirt from yesterday...it was...because of Jules..."

"And...he lied to me...this whole time...h-he...lied..." She began to weep violently, putting her hands to her face. She felt her heart shatter, her husband had lied and betrayed her.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart...this is all my fault...I'm so sorry..." She kissed her son and hugged him tightly.

"This is not your fault Mrs. Hedgehog...you had no way of knowing this..." Mr. Watson comforted.

"I should have been there...I-I should have done something..." She felt like she had failed her son.

"Now is not the time to dwell on the past...it's over and done...and there's nothing we can do about it. Now that you know the truth...what is your course of action?" He asked in a serious manner.

She looked up at Mr. Watson while rocking her son in her arms. "Tonight...Sonic and I will stay at a hotel...and I will not let Jules know our whereabouts."

"It's over..." She felt silent tears rolling down her cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away. Mr. Watson gave the mother hedgehog a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry..." He said softly, she smiled weakly.

"As long as Sonic is safe...that's all that matters to me right now." She said honestly.

"I'll give the department of Children and Families a call..." He informed her.

"They specialize in cases such as these and will help you through this and tell you what you need to do."

"Thank you..." She said graciously, shaking his hand.

* * *

><p>Jules paced back and forth in his bedroom beginning to panic. He had come home from work early unexpectedly, only to find the school had called earlier about an incident that transpired earlier with Sonic. Bernadette answered the phone late and the answering machine had picked up the entire conversation she had with the secretary.<p>

"_What __has __that __little __shit __done...?__" _He thought angrily. _"__He's __going __to __pay __for __this.__" _Jules balled his hands into a fist as he battled to control the rage and anger burning inside of him. He wanted to strangle Sonic at that moment.

"_What __if __Bernadette __found __out __the __truth...?__" _He felt his heart beginning to race as the fear of the thought consumed him. He was nothing without her, absolutely nothing. _"__I __cannot __afford __to __lose __her...she __absolutely __cannot __learn __the __truth.__" _He looked at their wedding photo sitting on their dresser and picked it up gently; he stared at the photo in silence for some time before placing it carefully back in its original place.

"_Berny __and __I __will __be __together __forever...__" _He reassured himself while running a hand through his quills.

"_I'll __make __sure __of __it...even __if __it __means __getting __rid __of __that __disgusting __pest __of __a __son.__" _He thought to himself, disturbed. He found himself turning towards his closet door with a wicked smile forming on his face.

"_Berny __loves __me...she __will __never __leave __me...and __if __she __ever __tried __I __would __never __let __her __go.__" _He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and decided to give her a call. He wanted to know what was going on and had to act like he was completely clueless.

The phone rang and there was no answer. Beginning to feel uneasy he called her again. Still no answer. He began to feel agitated and continued calling her repeatedly. He would not quit until she answered the phone. After countless missed calls he finally got her to answer.

"Berny...why haven't you answered your phone? I've been worried." There was a long pause and Jules began to feel nervous.

"Berny...?"

"Jules..." She choked trying to hold back her tears.

"H-how could you...?" He felt a sense of dread come over him. His heart began to beat faster with every passing second and he could feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach.

"Bernadette...what are you talking about?"

"How could you lie to me like this...? How could you do this to our son?" She sobbed.

"Berny I-" She cut him off.

"No! I don't want to hear your excuses!"

"You...betrayed me...you...you LIED TO ME! This entire time you've done nothing but lied..." She began to sob hysterically on the phone. Jules felt his heart sinking, his fear of losing the love of his life growing stronger and stronger by the minute.

"Bernadette let me explain...I-" She cut him off again.

"What is there to explain Jules? How you've been secretly beating our son for over a year now? How you've constantly lied to me?"

"I thought you loved me...I thought you loved Sonic." She felt her anger dying down into sadness and heartbreak.

"Berny...I do love you...more than anything...you know that I do." He reasoned.

"No...you don't. If you did you wouldn't have done this..." Jules felt his heart snapping in two and had to use all of his strength to hold back the tears that now threatened his eyes.

"Berny please..." He pleaded. "We can fix this...we can work it out...please just let me explain myself."

"Jules...y-you...bastard..." She wept into the phone helplessly. "I-I can't believe you would do this..." Jules felt silent tears rolling down his muzzle and he didn't bother to wipe them away. For a few minutes neither spoke a word, the only sound being heard was her uncontrollable sobs.

"Berny..." He whispered softly into the phone. "I love you...please...don't do this to me..." He pleaded hopelessly. He never felt so weak and vulnerable.

"I loved you with all of my heart...I put all of my trust into you..." She weeped. There was another long pause before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Jules..." She whispered almost inaudibly. His eyes widened with fear.

"W-what are you saying...?" He choked, unable to prevent his sobs any longer.

"There's nothing to fix...nothing we can work out...i-it's...over Jules..." She whispered softly as she sobbed harder.

"Y-you're leaving me...?" He sobbed. There was a long pause which felt like hours to him.

"Yes...I-it's over..." Before he could say anything he heard a click followed by silence. He felt his entire world falling apart. The only thing that mattered to him was gone. He put his head in his hands and wept for minutes. He should have seen this coming, he couldn't have kept what he was doing a secret forever.

His sadness was then replaced with sheer rage when his thoughts went onto his son. He balled his hands into a tight fist, his nails digging into him making him bleed.

"It's all that little bastard's fault!" He screamed angrily. He began tearing his bedroom apart in a fit of rage. He grabbed the wedding photo from the dresser and threw it into the nearby wall, the glass shattering upon impact as it fell to the floor.

He turned his attention to the closet door. "I'm going to kill him!" He shouted. He ripped open the closet door and began ripping the closet apart until he found the brief case. "That little shit is going to pay for this..." He said, teeth clenched.

He opened the brief case and pulled out the small box. He ignored the tears of pure anger rolling down his cheeks as he lifted the lid to reveal a medium sized hand gun. He smiled wickedly at the thought of finally doing away with that pathetic son of his.

"After I kill him...I'll make sure Berny stays with me..." He said to himself. Something in his mind had snapped at this point and all logic and morality eluded him. He spent the next fifteen minutes planning out how he was going to do all of this.

He hid the fully loaded weapon in his pants pocket and headed out towards the front door. He quickly got into his car and began to pull out of the driveway. He drove around the block and found a good spot to park and hide his car. Now he would play the waiting game; he knew Bernadette would have to come back home eventually and when she did that will be when he makes his move.

* * *

><p>Bernadette had been laying her head down on the steering wheel sobbing for the past fifteen minutes. It had been an hour since she and Sonic were in principal Watson's office. She had decided to take Sonic somewhere to eat real fast before they prepared to leave for a hotel. To her dismay Jules had kept calling her while in the restaurant; she continued to ignore his constant calls not wanting to speak with him. Her heart had been so broken this afternoon no words could describe how she felt at the moment.<p>

Sonic had been silent the entire time throughout their meal. She didn't pressure him to say anything, she was concentrating more on how to keep him safe. After their meal they headed back to the mini van that sat in the parking lot. She strapped him securely in his booster seat and he gave her a strong hug and kiss.

"Everything is going to be alright now sweetheart." She told him while giving him a kiss on his forehead. He nodded sadly with a frown. She saw something sitting in the passengers seat she knew would cheer him up if not at least give him comfort.

"Look who's here to see you..." She said soothingly while handing him the stuffed chao. Sonic's eyes lit up for a moment as he hugged Charlie tightly.

Bernadette shut his door and slid into the drivers seat; she was just about to turn the key in the ignition when her phone began to go off again. She sighed miserably and looked at the phone revealing Jules' cellphone number. She stared at the ringing phone for a moment debating whether or not she should answer it.

Now she sat sobbing in her seat wishing she had never answered. Despite all of what her husband has done she still loved him. How could she not? Today she made one of the hardest decisions she's ever made in her young life. Sonic buried his face in his hands while his chao laid on his lap. He felt it was all his fault that his mother was so upset. He had ruined everything.

"I'm sorry mommy...it's all my fault." He whispered sadly, finally speaking for the first time since they had left principal Watson's office.

She stopped sobbing and sat up after hearing his words. She wiped her tears hurriedly and shook her head.

"No...baby...nothing is your fault. He shook his head in disagreement.

"It is my fault! I'm the reason why you're mad at daddy...the reason why you're crying...the reason why we have to live in a hotel..." He broke off unable to finish his sentence. He looked down dejectedly at his stuff chao petting him gently as he began to feel fresh tears coming on.

Bernadette undid her seat belt and climbed into the back of the mini van. She gave her son a strong hug and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"What your daddy did to you was wrong..." She assured him. "He's the one at fault...not you..." Sonic's body began to quiver as quiet tears leaked from his eyes. He hugged his mother tighter.

"I love you mommy..." He choked.

"I love you too sweetheart." She kissed him on the forehead.

"I only wish you told me what was happening sooner..." She said, sadness filling her eyes.

She wiped the stray tears falling down his cheeks away and kissed his nose. She had to be strong for her son now. Right now the most important thing was making sure he was safe. She climbed back into the drivers seat and started the car. She looked into the contents of her purse and frowned, biting her lower lip.

She had just enough money on her to pay for their cheap meal. She had left her credit cards, everything back at the house. She scolded herself mentally at doing something so foolish, but she had no idea she would be on the run from her husband today. She checked her cellphone for the time and saw that it was only three thirty in the afternoon.

"_Jules __doesn't __get __off __work __today __until __six.__" _She thought to herself. She decided to make a very quick pit stop at the house to get her wallet and pack a few necessities before they headed on out. She felt extremely uneasy about this for some reason but shrugged the feeling off.

"We're going to go back to the house real quick to pick up a few things." She informed him as she began pulling out of the parking lot. He nodded quietly as he began to look out the window; he twiddled his thumbs and fingers nervously. He had a very bad feeling and an overwhelming fear of going back to the house.

They drove in silence, both hedgehog's feeling an immense amount of anxiety building up in them. Bernadette felt her stomach churning and her hands feeling clammy while clutching the steering wheel. Why was she so nervous? Jules was at work there was nothing to worry about.

They drove down their block slowly. Sonic clutched his stuff chao tightly as he looked out the window. As they edged closer to their house she sighed in relief when she saw the empty driveway. She almost mocked herself for getting so nervous and worked up over nothing.

She pulled up the driveway and turned off the car. "I'll only be a minute sweetheart. Do not leave the car and do not open the door for anyone do you understand?" He nodded.

"Don't worry baby...everything is going to be alright now. Once we leave you won't have to worry about anyone hurting you again." Sonic managed a weary smile and his mother returned it. Climbing out of the car she locked the doors and headed with haste into their two story home.

Sonic waited uncomfortably in the car while hugging Charlie. He could not shake the bad feeling he had and wished his mother would hurry. Suddenly without warning a loud bang was heard against his window. He turned and looked in fear as he saw his fathers angry face beaming back at him. His father banged his fists on the window a second time.

"OPEN UP THIS DOOR YOU LITTLE SHIT!" He shouted angrily. Sonic was frozen in complete fear. His father knew he told his mother his secret; he knew the punishment he would have if his father pulled him out of that car. He looked back at the house with pleading eyes wishing his mother would come out in that instant.

His father began banging on the windows in a fit of rage, pulling the handles in hopes of catching a door unlocked. Sonic unbuckled himself from his seat and tried to take cover on the other side of the car.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He screamed dementedly. Sonic cowered in fear and hid low behind the passengers seat. Jules punched the window again and it began to crack slightly. The noise terrified the little hedgehog and he let out a small scream.

"M-MOMMY!" He screamed as his father continued to punch the window. Sonic felt himself sobbing uncontrollably, completely terrified and hugged his stuff chao for dear life. Sonic cried out for his mother desperately in hopes she would save him from his father.

Jules punched the window again harder and finally made it shatter. Sonic screamed as Jules put his arm inside the car and unlocked the door. Sonic tried to crawl to the passenger seat to escape from the passengers door but his father had thrust the door open on his side and reached inside the vehicle. He grabbed Sonic's wrist firmly and began pulling him roughly towards him. Sonic yelped in fear and clung onto the passengers seat with his one arm, holding on for dear life.

Jules continued tugging his arm and when the little hedgehog refused to let go of the seat Jules began to twist his arm. Sonic cried out in pain as he felt his arm twist and bend in places they were not meant for. Getting frustrated Jules leaned into the car and grabbed the small boy by the waist and forcibly dragged him out of the car.

"NO!" Sonic screamed. "MOMMY! HELP ME!" He cried helplessly as he felt his fathers firm grip around him. He squirmed trying to get out of his grasp.

"I'M GOING TO GET RID OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL" Jules said almost laughing. He began dragging Sonic away from the car. Sonic's heart began to pound painfully in his chest as the overwhelming fear took over him.

"NO!" He begged again still trying to escape. "LET ME GO PLEASE!" His father laughed darkly as he continued dragging the sobbing hedgehog away.

"I KNOW THE PERFECT PLACE I'M GOING TO DUMP YOUR BODY ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH YOU." Sonic's eyes widened as his tears continued to roll down his soft cheeks. This was really it, his father was going to kill him today.

Jules smiled sadistically at the terrified hedgehog in his arms. He brought one of his hands up to Sonic's throat and began to squeeze tightly. He lifted Sonic higher up away from the ground and began to laugh dementedly. He watched intently as the little boy gasped for breath and struggled to remove his hand from his throat. Sonic kicked his little legs in midair desperately trying to escape from his father.

Sonic began to feel extremely light headed and his struggle began to weaken. He was suddenly thrown to the ground with great force and he coughed violently gasping for air. Before he could fully register what was going on he felt sharp pains in his stomach as his father hovered over him and began to violently hit him repeatedly.

Jules wasted no time hurting the little hedgehog. He had completely lost all sense of morality and good judgment and the only thoughts flooding his mind now were the sadistic thoughts of killing his only son. Sonic screamed in pain and continued to sob; he began to struggle, trying to fight back to get away from his father. Jules simply laughed at his son's futile efforts.

"M-MOMMY! PLEASE HELP ME!" He screamed only to receive a sharp blow to his face. Sonic laid still, stunned after receiving the agonizing blow from his father. Jules grabbed his shoulders roughly and began to shake him.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT BERNY HATES ME! YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH! SHE'S LEAVING ME BECAUSE OF YOU!" He continued shaking the dazed hedgehog like a lunatic. He began to laugh dementedly as he pulled Sonic back up.

"T-THAT'S WHY...I'M GOING TO KILL YOU...RIGHT HERE...RIGHT NOW." Sonic winced in pain and struggled to keep his eyes open. Jules then threw Sonic roughly to the ground towards the garage door. Sonic hit his head hard on the ground upon impact. He laid on his back panting as he began to feel the back of his head throb.

Everything was spinning and blurring out of focus. Jules walked closer towards the near unconscious boy and pulled the hand gun out of his pants pocket; he smiled darkly as he aimed the gun at his small son.

"I'm finally going to be rid of you." He said calmly.

Bernadette had been in the house searching desperately for her misplaced wallet. The house' strong, thick walls blocked out any sounds of the scene happening from outside. She had found a small travel bag in the living room closet and began packing it with anything that could be of use to her. She turned and looked at the kitchen counter and sighed in relief.

"There it is..." She said, grabbing the medium sized wallet. She quickly ran up the stairs with the travel bag and entered Sonic's bedroom. She quickly rummaged through his closet and dresser drawers tossing his pajama's and day clothes into the bag messily. Feeling satisfied she left his room to gather some of her own clothing but when she entered her bedroom she dropped the bag and let out a small scream.

Her bedroom was completely destroyed; furniture was thrown and laying on the floor on it's side, the bed was uplifted hanging off the box spring, and the full length mirror's glass was completely shattered. She took a small step forward and heard the sounds of glass crunching under her feet. She looked down to see a smashed photo frame laying on the floor.

When she picked it up she realized it was her and Jules' wedding photo. Her eyes widened and she dropped the frame on the floor. Her heart began to race as she felt pure terror seize over her. Realization hit her as warning bells began to ring in the back of her mind. She felt her stomach churning and her hands getting clammy.

"Jules...he must have come home early..." She whispered out loud to herself nervously. Her eyes widened in fear and she turned and bolted down the stairs. "Oh no! Sonic!"

She ran out the front door almost slipping in the process as she bolted for the mini van. She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks gasping, completely terrified, as her eyes fell on her near unconscious son laying on the cement ground. A small puddle of blood surrounded the back of his head.

She heard the sounds of something clicking and turned her attention to the left to see her husband holding a medium sized hand gun and aiming it right for her son. Her thoughts were only on one thing, and that was saving her little boy. She bolted from where she was standing and ran towards her husband in desperation.

"JULES! NO!" She screamed with tears in her eyes.

Sonic battled with himself to stay conscious; his head was swimming and he could no longer feel his body. He couldn't move no matter how much he willed himself to. His eyes were closed and he felt a heaviness overcoming him, the urge to sleep was becoming more and more inviting.

Sonic could hear his father talking but could no longer make out what was being said. He knew he was going to die. He tried to mentally prepare himself for the inevitable. His only regret was not being able to meet that little girl he had seen yesterday one last time. He wanted to know her name, he wanted to see her smile, he wanted to hear her giggle. Now he knew he would never have that chance.

As he began to succumb to the inviting darkness, sounds and voices filled his ears. He heard his mothers voice shouting something he couldn't make out. Everything sounded so distant and far away. The sound of a loud bang suddenly filled his ears followed by his fathers muffled screams. Then everything fell completely silent as Sonic blacked out.

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><p><em><strong>Author Note – This story touches on very realistic events that happen globally everyday. If you feel your in an abusive situation or think you know someone who might be don't be afraid to speak up or do something about it. Don't wait and be like Sonic because then it might be to late. Also I'm sure many of you are wondering when Amy Rose is going to be an active character in this story. She will make her grand debut in the next chapter which will be filled with lots of SonAmy fluff I'm sure you will all enjoy. She'll continue to be a main character from here on out. :)<strong>_


	4. Secret Roses

_**I'm so sorry everyone for making you wait so long for the next chapter. I had to study for my final exams and then take them right before the holiday break. I had to give my studies and school top priority and neglect everything else for a while. I was a little busy over the holidays with family as well so I do apologize. I went through a bit of trouble while working on this chapter which is also why it took me a while. I had written about half of it before deciding to trash it and start over from scratch. I thought it was absolutely awful, I'm much happier with the rewrite. I feel I'm a bit rusty since I haven't written in a while. I should have my spark back come next chapter though. I still want to improve, I'm not at the level I want to be at yet. I set high standards and goals for myself when it comes to art or writing.**_

_**I just want to thank everyone again for all your reviews; they really encourage me and make me feel more confident in myself. :) I also love seeing everyone's opinions and reactions with every new chapter. I'm ecstatic to see so many people liking my story and ideas. I'm new to this site so I didn't realize I had anonymous reviews disabled until it was mentioned to me. Sorry about that! I fixed it so now anyone who reads my story can review if they want to. Perhaps that's why I didn't get many reviews for my first chapter. XD Anyway, I think I talk to much, on with chapter four! Enjoy everyone, also happy belated Christmas, holidays, and New Year! :P**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four – Secret Roses<strong>

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><p>The hospital room was completely silent. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of an EKG machine beeping steadily. The room was dim and the window's curtains were closed to prevent any light from seeping in and disturbing the room's sound sleeper. The room wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the patient comfortable.<p>

The small room's large oak wood door suddenly swung open as a young nurse entered the room. She was a creamy white hedgehog with aqua green eyes. She had three thick, puffy bangs that hung low just above her eyes and had wavy short quills which bunched up in soft curls. Her back quills were long and sharp, pointing upwards creating an illusion of a fairy's wings. She wore traditional light blue hospital scrubs with white cuffs on the sleeves and collar with a matching light blue cap on her head.

The young nurse looked around the room and quickly locked her gaze on the sleeping form in the hospital bed. Her heart sank a bit at the sight. The little hedgehog laid still in his dreamless slumber, breathing softly. She's seen and experienced a lot of things in her young career that most people would not be able to stomach easily, yet a sight such as this, she still could not get used to. How could anyone do such a thing to a child? He's so small and helpless...

She quietly walked across the mint green floor over to the sleeping child. She pushed the beige privacy curtains that hung by his bed out of the way and began looking him over. His head was completely wrapped in soft, white, cotton bandages along with his right arm. He suffered from a mild concussion, a sprained wrist, and multiple bruising all over his face and body. She bit her lower lip as she examined him, preparing to change his dressings for clean ones.

There was still no change and it disheartened her greatly. Three days had passed since he had arrived at this hospital a complete mess and even though his wounds will heal in time she worried about how he will handle everything once he comes out of the state he's currently in. He has been in a coma for the past three days and she was starting to worry he wouldn't snap out of it.

She set up a metal tray on the counter with fresh gauze, clean cotton dressings, a small scissor, and medical tape. As she was about to unwrap his old dressings to exchange them with clean new ones another nurse entered the room.

"Oh Sophie there you are..." She said relieved. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I'm sorry Cathy...am I needed?" She asked slightly anxious.

"No, nothing like that." She assured her. "I was just wondering if you'd like to get some coffee is all."

Cathy was a golden yellow hedgehog with soft ocean blue eyes. Her quills curled wildly upwards in a tangled, disorderly fashion. Her bangs split, curving in opposite directions and hung loosely over her eyes. Three thick strands of hair directly beneath her ears, curled around the cheeks of her face and she wore an identical scrubs uniform to Sophie's.

Sophie managed a weary smile. "No thanks...I think I'm gonna stay here for a while longer. Besides, I was just about to change his dressings." Cathy turned her attention to the little boy sleeping in the hospital bed.

"You've really grown attached to him haven't you?" She said while walking up to the side of the bed.

"How could I not? The poor thing..." She looked back down at the child sadly. "He's been through so much..."

"Ya'know...the story's all over the news..." Cathy stated sadly, meeting Sophie's gaze. "When he wakes up how are we supposed to explain the situation to him?"

"We don't. As simple as that." Sophie stated firmly.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...he's been through enough. How can you possibly explain to a five year old what happened? As it is...we have no idea what he witnessed that day or what mental state he will be in when he wakes up."

"I see your point...but what if he asks? What am I supposed to say...?"

"For now...the only thing you could do is just make up an excuse or quickly change the subject. I plan on telling him the truth before he leaves here...but for now...I want to concentrate on making him healthy and well."

Cathy couldn't help but smile. "You'll make a great mother someday." She laughed. Sophie's cheeks flushed.

"I'm too young to be a mother right now...besides...I'm always here...I don't have time for any of that right now."

"That's what you say now...but watch someday...we can look back at this conversation and laugh when you have three or five kids by your side." Cathy laughed as Sophie's face turned a bright crimson color.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted, however, as they noticed small movements in the bed. Both nurses gasped lightly and stared at each other for a moment before looking down at the little hedgehog in the hospital bed.

Sonic felt himself slowly stirring. His eyes felt heavy and his lips were extremely dry. He found it difficult when he tried to open his eyes or even move his head slightly.

"Mmm..." He mumbled softly. The sound of voices suddenly filled his sensitive ears. As he began to become more alert he could hear the sound of a machine beeping steadily.

"He's finally waking up..." He heard a woman's voice say. The voice belonged to Sophie. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus. At first all he could see were blurry images all around him and two strange figures standing beside him. He closed his eyes again as he tried to collect himself. He felt so disoriented and his head was spinning. He gave himself a few seconds before attempting to open his eyes a second time. As his vision became more clear he attempted to look around and figure out his surroundings.

"M-mommy...?" He mumbled hoarsely as he tried to move.

"Shh...it's okay...everything is alright now." He heard Sophie say.

The first thing he noticed as he looked around was the fact that he was in a strange room he had never seen before. He realized he was laying in a small bed with white sheets that felt rather thin yet soft. Then he noticed the two nurses standing beside him watching him with concern. He began to feel frightened as his confusion only got worse.

"W-where am I?" He murmured, feeling uneasy. He tried to sit himself up but felt two gentle hands on his shoulders.

"Take it easy...you're safe now." The other nurse, Cathy said to him. She gently pushed him back down on the bed.

"You need to rest sweety." She said soothingly. He obliged even though he felt apprehensive. His head was spinning and he felt like his stomach was doing somersaults. His whole body was aching and he couldn't understand why he felt so stiff. It was hurting just to breath, his chest felt so heavy and his head was aching, especially the back of his head. That's when he noticed something was wrapped tightly around his head.

Feeling confused and apprehensive, he slowly lifted his arm to investigate but suddenly regretted it. Wincing in slight pain and discomfort he looked down at his arm seeing it wrapped in cotton bandages. Even his arm ached and it hurt to try moving it. As he tried moving his fingers he noticed how constrictive their movements were. With his other small hand he reached up to his forehead and touched the soft fabric cautiously; his tiny fingers traced the soft bandages slowly and gently as if afraid of doing something wrong.

"W-what's going on?" He asked nervously. "W-where's my mommy...?" Cathy bit her lower lip and took a quick glance at Sophie with pleading eyes, begging her to say something.

"You're in the hospital sweety...everything is alright. Please don't be scared." Sophie informed him. He looked at the two nurses standing beside his bed with worried, confused eyes.

Sophie turned her attention off of the little hedgehog and looked over at Cathy. "Cathy...can you do me a favor...and please inform doctor Reynolds that he's finally awake."

Cathy gave a slight nod. "Alright...I'll be right back." She answered as she swiftly left the room.

Sophie turned her attention back to the small child laying in the bed. She needed to calm him down somehow and assure him that he's safe now. Sonic lay silently in the bed nervously as he tried to comprehend what was going on. He couldn't remember how he got here or when. The last thing he remembered was when his father had pulled him out of the car and began beating him.

He remembered his fathers threats and remembered being thrown to the ground. He could even recall vaguely hearing voices, although he couldn't make out what was being said. After that though, he couldn't remember anything at all. As memories of the events from that day began to plague his mind he began twiddling his fingers nervously. He felt himself beginning to shake slightly and his hands started to feel clammy.

He was suddenly distracted from his thoughts as he watched the nurse pull the curtains from the windows revealing a beautiful sunny day outside. The room lit up almost instantly as the sun's bright rays shined in. Sophie smiled as she admired how much more inviting and comfortable the room had become.

"Much better...don't you agree?" She turned from the window to look at the little hedgehog who silently watched her. He simply nodded weakly and turned his head to stare at the ceiling. She walked back over to his bedside and grabbed a strange looking remote with various buttons on it. He watched with curiosity as she pressed one button. His bed began moving upwards, forcing him into a sitting position.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him. He simply shrugged, avoiding her gaze. She sighed sadly as she walked back to the counter to retrieve the metal tray she had set up earlier. She grabbed the scissor and walked back over to the small child. Immediately feeling nervous, he edged himself further away from her, closing his eyes, and shaking lightly. She frowned, he was so frightened it broke her heart.

"I'm not going to hurt you...I just need to take your bandages off." She grabbed a piece of the bandage on his head first and began to cut. He flinched as he heard the sound of the scissors snip at pieces of cloth.

"See?" She said as he opened one eye and saw a piece of fabric in her hand. He relaxed and opened both eyes as he allowed her to remove the rest of his head bandages.

"Not so bad right?" She said playfully as he shook his head in agreement. She grabbed his right arm and cut the bandage off. He watched her intently.

She grabbed the gauze and fresh clean dressings from the tray and began wrapping them around his head and wrist skillfully. When she finished she smiled at him and she could have sworn she saw the corners of his mouth curve upwards slightly even if it were just for mere seconds.

"Am I...gonna be alright?" He suddenly asked in a soft whisper. She looked at him curiously for a moment. She felt satisfied she was able to get him to calm down at least and he was now making conversation.

She smiled. "You're going to be just fine honey...within a week you'll be able to take those bandages off and you'll be as good as new."

He let out a sigh of relief and for the first time since he had been brought here she saw him smile slightly.

"My name is Sophie." She suddenly announced. "What's your name?"

He was quiet for a moment before responding. "Sonic..." He whispered softly, she smiled brightly.

"Well isn't that a cool name...it's very unique." He smiled from her compliment.

"You really think so?" He asked, his voice gaining it's strength. She nodded. "Yeah I do."

"So let me ask you again...how are you feeling?" She asked suddenly.

"I feel really thirsty." He admitted. His throat felt extremely dry and it hurt a little to talk. She nodded in understanding. "Don't worry...I'll get you some water after the doctor sees you."

"Are you feeling hungry?" He sat and thought about it for a moment until his stomach growled fiercely, answering the question for him. He blushed from embarrassment. She giggled softly and smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. I don't blame you for feeling hungry...you've been asleep for a good while."

"What would you like to eat? Any suggestions? We have a large menu for you to choose from." He put his hand up to his chin and thought for a moment. A small smile appeared across his little face.

"Do ya guys have any chili dogs? They're my favorite."

She smiled at him, feeling so happy that she managed to cheer him up and also distract him from thinking about the tragic events that had transpired days prior.

"I'll see what I can do." She laughed softly. His eyes lit up with hope. "Really?" She nodded.

"We also have ice cream. I'll make sure to give you some after you have some lunch today." His eyes grew wide and he couldn't control the excited smile that etched across his face.

Before another word could be spoken Cathy and doctor Robert Reynolds entered the room. Sonic's smile began to fade as he glanced up at the male wolf doctor.

"I'm glad to finally see you awake young man." He said with a welcoming smile. "You had quite a nasty bump on the head."

The gray and white wolf walked over to the little hedgehog to begin examining him and his injuries.

"I just checked his head wound doctor and changed his dressings. Everything seems to be healing well."

He smiled enthusiastically at Sophie. "I would only assume the best from one of my top nurses." She blushed from the compliment while Cathy could only smirk. She couldn't wait to tease Sophie about this one later.

Doctor Reynolds turned his attention back to his young patient and right when he was about to touch him for further inspection and evaluation the little hedgehog flinched nervously out of sheer reflex and moved away. Robert knew immediately why the child acted in this fearful manner. He didn't need to watch the news to know this child's case. It was never easy when he had to deal with child abuse cases. He was surprised the child didn't simply rip out the IV from his left arm and jump out of the bed to hide in a nearby corner after what he's gone through.

"It's alright young man...I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to see if your injuries are healing right."

"O-okay..." Sonic managed to squeak nervously. Sophie and Cathy exchanged sympathetic looks. Sonic tried his best to relax and slowly moved himself towards the doctor again.

"That's a good boy...How about this...I'll let you know _everything_ I plan to do before I do it and if you feel uncomfortable you can give me a small tap on the arm. How does that sound?" He asked the little boy calmly.

Sonic nodded slowly. "That sounds fair."

The doctor smiled playfully at him. "Great!" He exclaimed. "Now...I just want to examine your head injury real quick to see if it hurts anywhere is that alright with you?" Sonic nodded. "Alrighty then...let's see here..."

Doctor Reynolds began touching his head in various places that were wrapped around in the bandages. "Does it hurt here?" He asked as he touched certain areas. Sonic shook his head. "No." He then touched the back of his head where he had the extensive injury in question. "How about here?" He asked and Sonic immediately winced slightly in pain.

"Ah...thought so..." The doctor replied knowingly. "Don't worry little man, you're gonna feel a little sore and sensitive there for a little while...but it's healing just fine. Once the wound fully heals you'll be completely back to normal...good as new!" Sonic sighed in relief and relaxed as he began to feel a little more comfortable now.

"Alright Sonic...I need to check out your arm now...is that okay with you?" Robert asked patiently, again Sonic nodded granting the doctor permission. Doctor Reynolds gently grabbed Sonic's right arm and began slowly bending it in several natural positions. He made sure to take this slow because he knew that the child's arm had been severely sprained. Sonic closed his eyes as he tried to ignore the slight pain and discomfort he was now feeling. Unable to bare anymore, he tapped the doctor's arm lightly.

"It...hurts..." He murmured, his eyes still closed. Robert immediately stopped and began rubbing the little boys back for comfort.

"I know it does son...but I had to make sure it was healing right. I'm all done now...so you can relax."

Sonic opened his eyes and looked up at the doctor. Doctor Reynolds stood up and pulled a stethoscope out of his lab coat.

"Do you know what this device is?" He asked the little hedgehog. Sonic shook his head. "I use this so I can listen to your heartbeat. Would you like to see?" Sonic nodded with intrigue. Robert handed Sonic the stethoscope and held up the disk shaped resonator. "Put the earpieces on." He instructed. Sonic did as he was told and eagerly put the earpieces in each ear.

"Alright...now...I'm going to put this resonator against my chest and you should be able to hear my heart beating." As doctor Reynolds applied the resonator piece to his chest Sonic listened eagerly for the awaiting sounds. Sonic smiled as he heard the beats. "Hey! I can hear it!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"See! Pretty cool huh?" Robert chuckled.

"Yeah!" Sonic said as he removed the earpieces. Doctor Reynolds took back the stethoscope and quickly disinfected it. "Think you could let me listen to your's now?" The doctor asked playfully. The point of his approach was to make the child as comfortable as possible.

"Alright." Robert smiled as he placed the earpieces in his ears and leaned closer towards the small boy.

"The resonator may be a little cold." He warned before he placed it against Sonic's chest. Sonic gasped lightly as he felt the cold touch against his fur. Robert listened to Sonic's steady heartbeat and told Sonic to breath in and out. He then placed the resonator against his back asking him to take deep breaths. Pulling away, Robert smiled.

"You have a mighty strong heart beating in there." Sonic smiled.

"Really? It's strong?" He asked, doctor Reynolds nodded.

Robert walked back towards the waiting nurses. "I just want you to quickly take his blood pressure and then he should be all set for now." He informed them. They both nodded.

He turned around to face the little boy one last time. "Don't worry little man, you're perfectly healthy. Your wounds are healing just as I expected them to and you should be back to normal within a week." He smiled at the little hedgehog one last time before exiting the room.

Sonic merely watched as Cathy walked up to him and began wrapping a device around his arm. He felt a bit apprehensive all of a sudden. "I-is this g-gonna hurt?" He asked her feeling worried.

She shook her head. "Not at all. You may feel a little uncomfortable though." Sonic frowned.

"While your taking his blood pressure, I'm going to go to the cafeteria to make him some lunch." Sophie stated as she prepared to leave.

"Alright." Cathy said as she began pressing the valve to tighten the cuff wrapped around Sonic's arm.

"By the time Cathy finishes taking your blood pressure, I'll have your lunch ready for you." She smiled and winked at him before leaving the room.

Sonic smiled wearily. He was relieved at the thought of finally having something to eat and drink. His stomach was killing him now and his throat felt so dry he had to strain himself just to speak. He looked up at the nurse named Cathy as she continued taking his blood pressure. She smiled softly at him without speaking a word, concentrating on what she was doing. He couldn't wait until everyone would be done picking and poking at him. This past half hour had taken its toll on him and he already felt tired enough to take a nap. One question remained in the back of his mind though, where was his mother?

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><p>Sonic sat happily eating his lunch and chugging down his bottle of cold water. To his delight, they did indeed have chili dogs which he was now devouring without hesitation. The nurses had turned on a medium sized television set which hung on the wall on the opposite end of the room. Sonic felt more at ease now with a full belly and his thirst quenched as he sat watching the cartoon playing on the television screen.<p>

He was still very much confused to say the least, but at least he felt safe now. He wondered how much longer he would have to wait until he could see his mother again. _"I bet mommy's worried about me..." _He thought to himself. The doctor did say he would be feeling better in a week, perhaps then he'll be reunited with his mother and go home. Home...the thought unnerved him. His thoughts wandered back onto his father.

All afternoon since he had woken up his mind kept drifting back to what had happened and of his father. He tried to ignore his thoughts, distracting himself with food and cartoons but the thoughts kept returning. Where was his father? Did he know where he was? Was he angry? Was mommy okay? What's gonna happen now? Those questions continued to play throughout his mind all day. He was afraid. He didn't want to see his father ever again. He knew his father almost killed him that day and if he ever saw him again he wouldn't hesitate to finish the job.

Suddenly his food churned in his stomach and he felt a bit nauseous. He regretted everything he did that day. The drawing he made and telling his mother and his principal his secret. If he had just kept his mouth shut none of this would have ever of happened. He worried about his mother and hoped his father didn't hurt her. It would be all his fault and he could never forgive himself. He frowned, hanging his head low dejectedly. He felt ashamed of himself.

Feeling depressed, he sighed and wiped his hands on his napkins and pushed the empty tray that once held his lunch away from him. He found himself no longer paying attention to the cartoon on the screen as he laid his head back on the bed. His eyes wandered around the room as he sat in deep thought. He looked out the room's windows as he began to daydream. He missed his mother terribly and couldn't wait to see her again. He wanted to apologize for everything, for all the trouble he had caused her. He wanted to tell her he loved her.

Where were they going to live now? Where were they going to go? He wondered as he pulled the sheets over himself. The room was freezing and he felt himself beginning to shiver. If his mother and he had to move would that mean having to go to a new school too? His thoughts unconsciously drifted straight to the little girl he had seen a few days ago. If he left...then he _really_ wouldn't see her again. _"I wonder where she is?" _He thought to himself sheepishly. Maybe she was going to his school now. He smiled slightly as he daydreamed of playing with her on the playground or eating lunch with her in the cafeteria.

He wondered what her likes and dislikes were. Was she afraid of bugs? Did she like to color? Did she like games like "Hide and Seek" or "Tag"? He remembered the little teddy bear she was holding when he first saw her. He wondered if she took him everywhere she went and if he was her best friend. Then he suddenly remembered something. "Charlie..." He murmured sadly. He needed his buddy there with him at that moment. He needed to hug him tightly and to be assured everything would be okay. He felt his eyes starting to water. It was bad enough not being able to see his mommy but to not have Charlie by his side made the loneliness he felt even worse. Charlie was his only friend besides his mother and his security blanket. That stuffed chao was extremely important to him.

He groaned sadly as he looked away from the window and around the room. He was beginning to feel a little tired but didn't want to fall asleep. He looked at the counter on the other side of his bed and observed all the strange medical devices that sat idly on it. He saw a sink, a container that held tongue depressers, strange instruments, q-tips, a tissue box, and a container filled with gauze. The counter had a lot of drawers, most likely filled with other strange instruments he had no idea what their use would be for. Then something caught his eye, sitting on the edge of the counter by the oak wood door sat a clear glass vase filled with three red roses.

He found that kind of odd. They seemed so out of place sitting there amongst medical devices and instruments. _"Where did those come from?" _He wondered, curiously. _"Maybe they're from mommy..." _He thought, his spirits lifting slightly. Could that mean she was nearby? Could she be here at the hospital? He suddenly felt compelled to try and sneak out of bed to go look but knew he couldn't. Before he could ponder on the mystery roses further, Sophie entered the room. She smiled at him when she noticed the empty tray and water bottle.

"Feeling better?" She asked happily as she walked up to him.

He nodded. "Yeah much better." He forced a smile.

Noticing right away, she cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Rubbing his right arm, he looked down at the sheets that covered him. "I just miss my mommy..." He admitted sadly. Sophie frowned. She knew it would be difficult to keep his mind off of everything and especially off of his mother.

"Don't worry...Everything is gonna be alright." She whispered, rubbing his back supportingly.

"When am I gonna see her again?" He asked, looking up at her. She bit her lip. She really did not want to lie to him...but how can she answer this question truthfully.

"Soon..." She replied lamely. He sighed sadly and she felt a tug at her heart strings.

"Okay..." He said in a low voice, looking back down. She decided it was time to change the subject.

"So are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"

"I'm a little cold." He said while pulling the sheets closer to himself.

"I can bring you an extra blanket...but first you need your medicine."

"_Medicine?" _He thought with dread.

"What? But why?" He asked. The last thing he wanted was to take yucky medicine right now.

"Because you need it to help you get better." She chuckled while walking to the counter.

"But...but everyone told me I was okay...that I would get better." He stated, trying to talk her out of giving him anything.

She held in a giggle. "You are going to get better...but you need to rest. This will just help you sleep that's all."

"I don't wanna go to sleep." He argued, crossing his arms.

Ignoring him, she continued preparing the needle at the counter. She made sure he couldn't see it so he wouldn't freak out but she knew the moment she held it out in front of him to administer it, it'd all be in vain anyway.

"I want you to close your eyes...and count to ten for me. Can you do that?" She asked him suddenly.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Why?" He asked, feeling a bit uneasy.

"We're gonna play a game." She informed him with a fake smile.

"Like Hide and Seek?" He asked.

"Mmm...something like that..." She said turning around, her back firmly against the counter to block his view.

"Okay...close your eyes now and start counting." She commanded. He looked at her with a hint of suspicion at first but saw no reason why he shouldn't trust her. At least she seemed to of forgotten all about giving him the medicine now. Feeling a little anxious, he slowly closed his eyes. She checked to make sure he wasn't peaking and when she noticed he wasn't she turned back around.

"Start counting now..." She stated as she grabbed the needle.

"Okay." He said.

"One...Two...Three..." She walked slowly up to his left arm where the IV was attached, but to her dismay he had his arm bent and laying in a position where she couldn't access the IV. She mentally cursed herself knowing she would have to grab his arm and turn it slightly in order to give him the shot.

"Four...Five...Six..." She slowly and gently grasped his wrist and began turning it. "Seven...Eight..." He was beginning to feel apprehensive the moment he felt the nurse turning his arm. He opened one eye and peaked and immediately jerked away from her when he saw the needle.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" He shouted, edging himself further away from her to the other end of the bed. She frowned, knowing her job just got more difficult.

"Please sweety...it's okay...it's not gonna hurt." She tried soothing him.

He looked at her with panic in his eyes. "YES IT IS!" He shouted.

"No it won't! I promise it won't." She tried reasoning with him.

"IT WILL!" He shouted, wiggling away from her in the bed frantically. "Y-you tricked me!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but you need to take this." She said grabbing his left arm.

"No! No please!" He begged, still squirming. His eyes began to water as he fought back tears and he began to breath heavily.

"Please stay still." She demanded softly. "I don't want to accidentally stick you in the wrong place."

He quit fidgeting and looked at her with pleading, teary eyes. "Please don't..." He pleaded as he began to sob softly. She gently held his arm out so it was straight and held it firmly in place. He tried to hold back his sobs as tears began rolling down his soft cheeks.

"Shh..." She soothed as she edged the needle closer. He closed his eyes nervously as he awaited the pain. When a couple of seconds had passed and he still felt nothing, he opened his eyes in confusion. He saw the needle was inside the strange plastic IV attached to his arm.

"See...I told you it wasn't going to hurt." She assured him. "I'm all done already. That wasn't so bad right?" She felt terrible for making him cry and get all worked up. She ran a hand through his quills in a nurturing manner. He sniffed, his breathing becoming more relaxed and soft. He was already feeling drowsy and was fighting to keep his eyes from drooping. The medicine had already begun taking its affect on him.

Sophie walked back to the counter and quickly disposed of the needle and cleaned up the work area. She grabbed the box of Kleenex tissues that sat on the counter and walked back to the almost dosing hedgehog. He looked up at her with half lidded, heavy eyes, wanting to say something but found himself unable to do so. She grabbed some tissues and began gently wiping his little cheeks and eyes.

"I'm sorry for tricking you." She said apologetically. She caressed his one cheek with her hand affectionately. Sonic closed his eyes, unable to fight the urge to sleep any longer.

"Have a nice nap little one." She said getting up. She pressed a button on the controller for his bed making the bed move down into a sleeping position. Walking back to the counter, Sophie disposed of the used tissues and placed the tissue box back on the counter. She closed the curtains on the windows to prevent the sunsets rays from brightening the room and possibly disturbing his slumber. Sophie turned off the television and quickly left the room to get him an extra blanket. After returning and tucking him in she hit the switch on the lights to darken the room. Sophie took one last glance at the little hedgehog now sleeping soundly and smiled before exiting the room.

* * *

><p>Cathy had been tending to patients all afternoon and was now taking care of Mr. Cooper. The middle aged raccoon had suffered several injuries from a car accident almost two weeks ago. The stubborn man wanted nothing more than to go home but due to his injuries he would have to be patient and stay put in his hospital bed until he was well enough to be released.<p>

It was early evening now around six o'clock at night and she was in the middle of cleaning up his room and preparing to serve him his dinner. Mr. Cooper sat in his bed watching the evening news while he waited feeling slightly impatient and edgy.

"I'm starving woman...how much longer do I have to wait?" He asked irritably. She stopped what she was doing to glare at him.

"I'll make you wait even longer if you don't curb your attitude. Show a little respect will ya." She replied saucily.

"I'm tired of being treated like a child...I want to get the hell out of this shit hole..." He declared in agitation.

She huffed. "You should be happy you even made it here in one piece and that people are taking care of you." He crossed his arms and grumbled, mumbling incoherent words under his breath.

She returned to what she was doing when he finally got quiet. Mr. Cooper turned the volume up on the television in frustration.

"_Now returning back to our latest story. This story is truly a tragic one in the small town of Charleston just West of Station Square." Said one of the news anchors._

"_It was a quiet Friday afternoon in this small suburban neighborhood when a true tragedy had taken place." Said a female anchor standing around in the neighborhood in question facing the camera._

"_Just outside this home around early evening a shooting had taken place when a man decided to shoot his wife and son." Said the anchor while standing in front of a two story home._

Cathy turned her attention to the television completely horrified knowing exactly what story they were talking about. Thoughts of the little boy she had only taken care of a few hours ago emerged in her mind. Mr. Cooper looked at the television set in complete disgust.

"What the hell is this world coming to..." He announced in contempt.

"Wait...wait...shh!" Cathy said, giving the television her undivided attention. Mr. Cooper sneered at her.

"_The man allegedly attempted to shoot his son but instead shot his wife for reasons we are still investigating." The woman said as she walked along the driveway where the incident had taken place. The entire area was filled with police officers, cadaver dogs, and yellow 'do not cross' tape._

"_The child managed to survive with minimal injuries and is currently being treated at Station Square Memorial Hospital but the mother was pronounced 'dead' at the scene. The man in question has never been found." The anchor announced while walking around the scene of the crime._

"That's awful..." Mr. Cooper breathed. Cathy was speechless as she continued to listen, her hand on her chest.

_A picture of Jules appeared on the television screen. "Jules Maurice Hedgehog is wanted for the murder of Bernadette Louise Hedgehog and the attempted murder of Sonic Xavier Hedgehog. If you have any information on where his whereabouts may be please call 1-416-653-8924."_

_The screen switched back to the news room where a male anchor continued discussing the case. "We have recently received new information claiming there has been a history of child abuse in the house hold." He said while looking at some paperwork on his desk._

"_Apparently the mother had gone to the child's school earlier that day and had discussed this matter with the principal whom refuses to give us any information on the matter. We are still not quite sure whether the wife participated in the abuse along with the husband or not."_

Cathy huffed. "All that boy has been asking about all day was to see his mother. The sadness and longing in that boys face...it's obvious his mother loved him very much." She said to no one in particular.

"The poor kid..." Mr. Cooper said sympathetically. Cathy couldn't help but be surprised in his change in demeanor.

_Several photographs of Jules, Bernadette, and Sonic appeared on the screen. Some were family group photo's while others were of them alone. A photo of Bernadette smiling while bottle feeding Sonic when he was just a baby, another of Jules and Bernadette together hugging and smiling happily at one another, Sonic around age three opening gifts under a Christmas tree, and a group picture of the three of them all together._

Cathy was on the verge of tears now as she looked at the various photos. _"What the hell happened here...They looked like a normal, happy family. I just don't understand." _She thought to herself.

_The news went back to the female anchor who was now interviewing several neighbors that lived near the Hedgehog family. "I could hear the shots going off. It was absolutely terrifying!" One of them said. "I was actually able to hear the man screaming...but I could not make out any words that were said." Another neighbor explained._

"_Did you know the Hedgehog family on a more personal level? Did you ever see or talk to them? If so what were they like?" The anchor asked one of the neighbors who happened to live right next to where the Hedgehog family had lived._

"_Um..." The man said scratching the back of his head trying to find words. "Where to start..." He thought for a moment before answering._

"_Well...Bernadette...she was a wonderful woman. She was always willing to help anyone out in need no matter what the circumstances were. She just had a big heart and I'll tell you all this right now, she loved her son very much. He was all she spoke about when she went out anywhere...She was so proud of him."_

"_What of the husband and the son?" The woman pressed for more information._

"_I rarely saw Jules...he was a very quiet and aloof man. He never really left the house when he was home...and rarely spoke to anyone. He seemed cold and distant and at times...I used to wonder about that man. But Bernadette would talk nonstop about her husband; she would always praise him and say how wonderful he was. She truly loved him and never showed any signs to make me think otherwise..."_

"_And the son?" The woman asked, eager for more information._

"_Sonic...he was always such a good boy. I would often see him walking home from school. He was quite the hyperactive, adventurous child. A typical five year old, but well mannered. That child loved his mother very much. It was definitely safe to say he was a momma's boy." The man gave out a sad chuckle at some of the memories._

"_Have you ever heard any disturbances in the home to make you think something was wrong?" She asked him, pushing the microphone close to his face. He felt a bit flustered but tried to answer to the best of his ability. To be honest this whole situation disturbed him greatly and he was feeling at a loss himself._

"_No...I never heard anything..." He stated honestly. "Everything seemed completely normal...I never would've guessed there was something amiss."_

"_Would you of ever imagined something like this happening?" She asked. "No." He said blunt and to the point._

"_Thank you for sharing this information with us." She said quickly before turning back to the camera as if unaffected by the stories tragic events._

_The screen went back to the male anchor in the news room who continued to discuss the case. "Bernadette was a young mother at just the age of twenty-five when her life had been taken away. The son, Sonic is only a five year old. A true tragedy." The man said shaking his head slightly in disgust._

"_It's been years since any serious crimes had taken place in Charleston. It's usually known for its quiet, peaceful, and crime free escape from the outskirts of the city." The picture of Jules appeared on the screen again._

"_Jules Maurice Hedgehog, a twenty-nine year old is on the run for the murder of his wife and attempted murder of his son. Again, if anyone has any information please call 1-416-653-8924." The anchor then changed to the next latest story to discuss for the evening._

Cathy stood frozen in place utterly speechless. She had completely forgotten Mr. Cooper had been in the room and even what she was supposed to be doing.

"Poor kid...It doesn't help he looks so much like his old man either...That's gonna haunt him years down the road." Mr. Cooper said aloud suddenly, startling Cathy out of her dazed state.

She turned around and faced the raccoon who looked at the television screen with a sympathetic and disgusted expression.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, clearly what he said could have a double meaning.

"Think about it...The kid's gonna grow up eventually am I right? He's gonna have a difficult time dealing with all of this and the fact he has to look at himself in a mirror every morning and be reminded of who he resembles is only gonna make him feel more hatred."

Cathy looked at Mr. Cooper sullen, she felt so bad for Sonic. He really was a sweet kid, he didn't deserve any of this. Mr. Cooper met Cathy's gaze and smirked.

"Hey...cheer up would'ya...I like my women with some fire in em." He said jokingly. She couldn't help but smirk back at him.

"Watch it you or you might not get your dinner tonight." She said jokingly while giving his leg cast a soft tap.

"H-hey! Watch the leg woman!" He said in an annoyed tone while crossing his arms but his smirk and playful eyes were still apparent in his expression. She smiled back at him. He wasn't all that bad after all.

* * *

><p>It was around twelve o'clock at night and the hallways of the hospital had become scarce and silent. The hallway lights were dimmed and most of the patients were already in bed and fast asleep. Sonic lay in his bed still sound asleep from the medication he had been given earlier. The faint sound of small footsteps echoed by his hospital room door. The oak wood door opened slowly and quietly as the intruder stood at the threshold, afraid of waking him. She shyly took a step inside, shutting the door quietly behind her.<p>

Taking a deep breath, the little girl walked over to the side of his bed and quietly admired him. _"He looks so cute and peaceful when he's asleep..." _She thought to herself dreamily, her cheeks heating up. She noticed he was shivering and his blankets had fallen off of him some. Standing on her tippy toes she leaned over and pulled the blankets back over him. She smiled when she noticed him immediately relaxing and his shivering subsiding.

"_He's not used to the cold hospital air." _She thought to herself. It didn't even phase her anymore. Then again, she did receive extra blankets from the nurses. She observed his injuries and frowned sadly. _"I wonder what happened to him..." _She thought as her mind began to wander off on several different possibilities. She listened to him breathing softly and smiled again, blushing. _"I think he's gonna be okay..." _She assured herself. Her face burning from the heat on her cheeks, she found herself slowly grasping his hand in hers.

She held his hand gently, afraid of waking him. She smiled sheepishly as she found herself admiring his hands warmth. For someone who was so cold, his body was extremely warm. She intertwined her fingers with his trying to give him inner strength and support to pull through. Deep down, she was afraid he wouldn't. She didn't know why but she felt a strong connection to this boy. She couldn't understand it, they hadn't even met each other. _"I wonder what his name is?" _She found herself thinking.

She remembered that day she had gone with Ms. Reeves to her new school. She felt so scared and alone. She didn't know anybody and she had never gone to a school before so she had no idea what to expect. Thank goodness Franklin was with her. That teddy bear was her closest and most dearest friend. She actually felt a bit sad that day after seeing a lot of the children getting picked up by their parents. When she found herself feeling more scared and lonely than she had ever felt though...that's when...she saw _him_...

She watched him sleep, looking at the many bruises and scratches that covered his face and arms. She gave his hand a small supportive squeeze. He had been standing behind a tree watching her while Ms. Reeves and the school principal were talking about her starting her classes. Within an instant all her fears...her sadness, and loneliness disappeared in the blink of an eye upon seeing his face. He made her feel happy and she couldn't understand why. They hadn't even spoken a word to each other. Then he waved at her and smiled and she couldn't help but smile and wave back.

She really wanted to talk to him that day. But right after they got to wave to each other, Ms. Reeves told her it was time to leave. Even when she sat in the car she kept looking back out the window to try and see him again. As they drove away from the school instead of feeling afraid of going she felt...excited and happy. She felt this way because she knew he would be there. She couldn't help herself but daydream about becoming his friend and playing with him. She was told she would start school on Monday and so she waited excitedly for the day. She hoped she would have the same class with him then she wouldn't feel so alone and scared.

She sighed sadly. She never did get to go to school. She had gotten sick again and missed her first day. Now she had to wait until she got better before she could go. She never felt so sad and disappointed for missing out on something before. Then one evening while laying in bed, she heard the sounds of the nurses and doctors rushing with a stretcher. It sounded serious and though she shouldn't be nosy, curiosity got the better of her. His room was only across the hall from hers. She would never have expected to meet up with the boy she couldn't stop thinking about the past couple of days here at the hospital.

Instead of feeling excited though, she felt scared. He had gotten badly hurt and she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. So she decided to help him the best way she could. Every night since he had arrived at the hospital she had been sneaking out of her room to see him. This of course, was nothing new for her in any way. She had a nightly duty that the nurses didn't know about and she hoped to keep it that way.

She held his hand for a while as she watched him. She partially wished he'd wake up so she could talk to him. She sighed, realizing it was time for her to go and slowly pulled her hand away from his. She gently pulled out the red rose she had placed in her pants pajama pocket and held it out, admiring it. "I hope you like the roses." She whispered to him softly. She laid the red rose down next to him on the bed. Ever since he had arrived at the hospital she had visited him each night giving him a single red rose.

She hoped it would help give him the strength to pull through and get better. Her cheeks began to flush as she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. "I hope you get better soon." She whispered into his ear. With her job done for the evening, she walked quietly back towards the door. She turned to look at him one last time, smiling shyly before leaving.

After quietly shutting his door she started to speed walk her way back towards her own room.

"Miss Amy Rose! What do you think you're doing out of bed at this hour?" Amy flinched at the voice, she had been caught. She turned around slowly to face Ms. Cathy. She was the nurse that usually took care of her.

"I-I...umm..." She stuttered, trying to find an excuse but was coming up empty.

"Well?" Cathy pressed for an answer.

"I...was thirsty...I'm sorry." She said in a low voice.

Cathy shook her head slightly. _"That was the worst excuse you ever threw at me Amy." _She thought to herself.

Cathy walked up to the now melancholy girl who was looking shamefully down at her pink slippers.

"Come on...It's time to go back to bed." She ushered Amy forward back towards her room.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered sadly, her eyes starting to water.

"I'm not mad at you Amy but you know better than to be out at this hour."

"I know..." She whined.

"You know you can't leave your bed." Cathy stated firmly.

"But I'm feeling much better now!" Amy said defiantly. Cathy placed her hand on Amy's forehead.

"For now perhaps...but you still have a slight fever."

Amy frowned. "It's not that bad this time..." She pouted.

"Get your butt back into that bed missy!" Cathy said playfully as she pointed towards the bed in the room. Amy giggled and climbed back into her bed. Cathy tucked her in and smiled at her.

"So, what was the _real _reason you were out of bed?" Amy blushed.

"H-how did you know...?" Cathy's grin grew wider.

"Because you're a terrible liar miss Rose." She said, tickling Amy.

Amy giggled and squirmed around, trying to get away. "No!" She laughed. "I can't take it!" She grabbed Cathy's hands and tried prying them away from her sides as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. Cathy suddenly stopped, smiling at the little girl. She had grown very attached to this little one. Ever since Amy was very small she had taken care of her. Amy panted trying to catch her breath but returned the smile.

"So...are you gonna tell me or do I have to tickle you some more?" She joked.

Amy looked up at Cathy, her expression turning more serious and she found her cheeks getting hot when thoughts of the little boy returned to her.

"If I tell you...do you promise not to be mad?" She asked nervously.

Cathy looked at her perplexed. "I promise."

Amy took a deep breath. "I wanted to make sure that little boy was okay."

Cathy couldn't fight the smile that etched across her face. This was too cute. She had her suspicions already that it might have been Amy that had been visiting him. Ever since Sonic had arrived, each morning she and Sophie would go into his room and find red roses laying next to him in the bed. She found it to be rather sweet so she took the roses and put them in a vase for him.

"He's gonna be just fine Amy." She assured her.

Amy let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so happy." She exclaimed, hugging her blankets.

"Now tell me...Where did you get all those roses?" Cathy asked her slyly. Amy gulped and pulled the blankets up close to her face.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She fained innocence.

"Amy..."

Amy looked down at her blankets. "From...the gift shop downstairs...B-but I had permission! Honest!"

"Alright! Alright...I believe you...but it makes me wonder now how many more times you've snucked outta bed." Cathy stated playfully.

Amy let out a nervous laugh, avoiding eye contact. Cathy ruffled up her quills and smiled at her.

"You need to go to sleep now." She informed the little girl seriously.

Amy simply nodded. "Okay."

Cathy placed her hand on Amy's forehead once more and her smile dimmed. "Your fever's getting worse now. This is why you need to stay in bed and rest."

"I'm fine Ms. Cathy...I promise." Amy whispered, clutching her stuffed teddy bear Franklin. She was beginning to feel weak but she didn't want Ms. Cathy to worry.

"You're gonna need your medicine now." Cathy said getting up. "I'll be right back...You better be in that bed when I come back." She said half jokingly.

Amy nodded weakly. "I will..." She whispered.

Amy closed her eyes as the nurse left her room. She was relieved that she didn't get in trouble but felt even more relieved to know that that little boy was going to be alright. She hugged her teddy bear tightly as her breathing began to get heavy. Her fever was picking up again at a fast rate. It was all worth it though, being able to see him again. She smiled wearily as her thoughts drifted back to him before she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Sonic opened his eyes groggily and looked around the room slowly. The windows curtains had been pulled back allowing the sun's morning rays to shine brightly inside and illuminating the room. He yawned loudly and stretched as he sat himself up. It took him a moment to remember what had happened to him yesterday. He had been tricked into taking a shot. He frowned slightly at the memory. At least he didn't feel anything and he hated to admit it but he felt loads better today.<p>

He pulled the sheets down off of himself and stretched his little legs. It felt good to give his legs some air. He was tired of laying in bed and wanted to get up. He was never one for sitting still for very long and he had been laying in bed for days. If it wasn't for the strange plastic IV in his left arm he would have been up and out of bed by now, no doubt getting in trouble for exploring the halls of the hospital.

He sighed as he looked around already feeling bored. Maybe he could watch some cartoons. He looked down at the mattress and began looking around for that strange looking remote the nurses kept pressing buttons on. He gasped as he pulled his sheets down to reveal a single red rose next to his pillow. He picked it up gently, examining it carefully with curiosity. _"Where did this come from?" _He thought to himself feeling confused.

He sat quietly for a few minutes staring at the rose trying to find an answer. _"I don't remember seeing this here yesterday." _He thought, while scratching his head. His eyes lit up for a moment when he thought of another possible explanation. _"Maybe mommy was here...and she gave me this while I was asleep." _He hoped. He looked back at the counter where the vase stood with the three red roses in it. Could those roses be by the same person? Could it really be from his mother? He desperately wanted to find out.

"_What if mommy's still here somewhere...? I wanna see her!" _He looked at the oak wood door and then back to the IV attached to his arm. He wanted to leave the room to find her. If she was still here somewhere he wanted to be with her. This was the longest amount of time he's ever been away from his mother before and he couldn't stand it. He began fiddling around with the IV in his arm, trying to find a way to remove it. It hurt when he tugged at it and he felt afraid to go any further. Sighing in defeat, he sat and crossed his arms in frustration. _"Now what am I gonna do?" _

The oak wood door opened revealing Cathy who greeted him with a bright smile.

"Good morning Sonic. Did you sleep well?" She asked him cheerily.

He nodded. "Yeah...I did...but can I get outta bed now?" He asked a bit impatiently.

"I'm tired of bed...I wanna get up!" He exclaimed, arm's still crossed.

She chuckled lightly as she walked up to him. "I'm sorry but you're not getting up. You still need your bed rest."

He groaned. "Aw come on..." He pleaded. "It's so boring..."

She laughed, shaking her head slightly. She knew all about his short attention span.

"How about this...I can put the TV on and you can watch some cartoons and movies. Would you like that?" She asked.

His irritated expression softened and he smiled slightly, nodding. "Yeah, but I still wanna get up." He said while stretching his legs again.

"You will...just not right now." She stated while she grabbed the remote and pressed the button to make his bed move up into a sitting position then turning on the television.

He sighed in exasperation. This was pure torture not being able to move. He wanted to run around and play.

"I'll bring up some board games and toys to entertain you for a while after I get your breakfast ready." She said while watching him. "I'm sure Sophie will love to play with you later when she comes to change your dressings."

"Really?" He asked with hope in his eyes. He really wanted to play and do something fun.

She nodded with a smile. "Oh yes, Sophie loves to play games...and we have a whole bunch of em."

"Yes!" He shouted excitedly, uncrossing his arms. "I bet I can win!" He declared, with a cocky smile.

She smiled and shook her head. "You're somethin' else ya know that?" He merely grinned.

Her eyes then fell on the red rose he still held in his hand. She smiled knowingly as her thoughts wandered back to last night and the little pink hedgehog.

"Here...let me put that in some water." She said, holding her hand out.

He remembered the rose he was holding and reluctantly handed it to her. She walked back to the counter and placed it in the vase with the other three.

"Where are they coming from?" He suddenly asked. "I mean...who's giving them to me?" He looked up at the nurse hoping she'd tell him it was his mother and that she would visit him later that day.

The nurse smiled mischievously as she looked at the roses in the vase and back at the curious hedgehog.

"It seems...you have a secret admirer." She said between small giggles.

"Admirer?" He questioned in confusion. "Who?"

"It's a secret dear...I can't tell ya." She said with a large smile.

"Yes you can!" He exclaimed. "I promise not to tell anybody!" He was very curious now. If it wasn't his mother than who? An admirer? What is that? Who can it possibly be? He was truly baffled.

"Nope, I'm not saying a word." She teased.

"Aw...please?" He begged.

She shook her head. "No means no. Now what would you like for breakfast?" She chuckled while changing the subject. He sighed in defeat but smirked at her. If she wouldn't tell him who it was then he'll just have to find out on his own.

* * *

><p>High heels clicked loudly on the hospital floor as a woman dressed in a business suit walked quickly through the hallways. She wasted no time in heading towards her destination. The hospital room door was open and she could hear the sounds of the television blazing into the hallway. <em>"Perfect." <em>She stood at the threshold to see a little blue hedgehog fully engrossed in what he was watching.

She knocked on the side of the doorway to grasp his attention. "Ahem." The little boy stopped watching and turned to look at her. She plastered on a fake smile and walked into the room. "Hello Sonic." She said as she pulled up a chair next to his bedside. He looked at her puzzled and unsure of what to say.

"No need to worry. I just want to talk to you." She stated, reading his expression.

When he just stared at her not saying anything she pressed to continue the conversation. "My name's Emily...and I work with children to help them get through difficult times in their lives."

He just nodded, frowning. He didn't really like where this was going. He didn't want to talk about anything. He learned from his mistake. The whole reason he was here and separated from his mother was because he opened his mouth and let out his secret. Never again.

Ignoring his obvious discomfort and the awkwardness of the situation she pressed on. "So how are you feeling Sonic? Are the nurses taking good care of you?"

He nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine." He replied quietly, feeling a little frustrated.

"Do you know why you are here?" She pressed. He looked at her with agitation clear on his small features.

"Yeah." He replied irritably. _"Because of daddy..."_

"Can you tell me about it?" She continued to push him for more answers.

"No." He said bluntly.

"Why not?" She asked. She'll get him to talk whether he liked it or not. She had no ambition on leaving empty handed.

"I don't wanna talk about it." He said angrily, crossing his arms.

"Now Sonic...it's not good to bottle up your emotions. You need to express how you feel and what's bothering you." She stated factually.

"I don't need to do anything." He said defiantly.

He felt a little guilty acting in this way but he really had no desire to talk about that horrible day or his father. He had been trying so hard to block it out of his mind. He kept looking forward to seeing his mommy and getting out of this place.

"You need help darling...let me help you."

"I don't need any help! I'm just fine!" He shouted angrily.

It was silent in the room for a couple of minutes. Sonic refused to look at this stranger who continued to pester him for answers. He hoped she would get the hint that he didn't want to talk and she would leave.

"Tell me about your father." She asked suddenly, changing direction in the conversation.

Sonic gripped his sheets tightly, feeling a variety of emotions: Fear, sadness, anxiety, uneasiness, anger.

"No." He stated firmly.

"I would really like to learn more about him...but I need your help."

"I don't wanna talk about daddy..." He felt tears threatening his eyes now.

"Why not? Don't you love your daddy?"

His vision began to blur as large, hot tears filled his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks at any moment. Why was this woman doing this to him? Can't she see she's hurting him? That he didn't want to talk about this? Why can't she just leave him alone. As much as he feared his father, as much as his father had hurt him physically and emotionally, he couldn't bring himself to fully hate him.

Deep down he still had love for his father and wished they could have a loving father son relationship like all the other boys at his school. It hurt him greatly that he didn't and couldn't have that. He wanted his father to love him more than anything. He would always ask himself what was wrong with him? What was he doing wrong to make his father hate him so much?

"Leave me alone..." Sonic mumbled sadly, vigorously wiping at his teary eyes.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." She stated rather heartlessly, unaffected by his tears and sudden sadness.

Sonic stared ahead at the television screen not really paying attention. His heart was now aching as this woman continued to poke at his weak points.

"If you won't tell me about your father...tell me about your mother. What's she like?" Sonic looked at her incredulously.

"I'm not gonna tell you anything. No matter how much you ask me." He told her coldly, completely fed up with her now.

She scoffed at his rudeness and attitude. "I don't think you realize the situation you're now in young man."

"I don't care!"

"I think you will when you find yourself with new living arrangements."

He refused to look at her, gripping his sheets tightly. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that.

"I don't care where my mommy and I live...as long as we're together." He said firmly.

"And what would you do if you _didn't_ have your mommy?" She asked him coldly.

He looked at her completely horrified. "W-what...?" He stammered, his heart wretched with fear and anxiety.

She smiled viciously at him. "Ah...that got your attention...but if you want some answers out of me...I need answers out of you."

He shook his head in disbelief. _"She's lying...don't listen to her." _He told himself, giving himself some encouragement. He felt his tears brimming his eyes once again and he put forth a lot of effort to keep them at bay but to no avail. He started shaking fiercely and his tears began pouring down his muzzle.

"No..." He whispered, shaking his head in utter disbelief. He refused to listen to this heartless woman. "Y-you're a liar! He shouted, venting his anger. "I-I don't b-believe y-you!" He said, his voice gaining strength, his eyes filled with anger and worry. The woman only laughed softly at him.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Sophie asked as she entered the room. She looked at Emily with fire in her eyes. She was furious.

"Who let you in here?" She asked, walking over to the woman. Emily stood up from her chair ignoring the sobbing hedgehog next to her.

"Nobody...I let myself in." She stated boldly.

"You have no permission to be here...you need to leave...right now!" Sophie seethed while pointing towards the doorway.

"I still have questions to ask this child...questions in need of answering."

"I don't think so...you need to get out. Now!" Sophie yelled.

Emily scoffed. "I don't take orders from anyone let alone a measly nurse such as yourself."

Sophie clenched her fists and tried to control her anger. She looked back to Sonic seeing him sobbing, fear filled in his eyes.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"I just simply asked him questions that's all."

"If you have any questions...you can ask me, leave him out of it."

"Only he can answer these questions."

Sophie felt an urge to slap this woman. She was insufferable.

"Sonic doesn't need to hear this...let's just discuss this outside." Sophie managed, trying to be civil. Emily silently agreed following Sophie out the door. The moment Sophie shut the door and made sure they were out of ear shot she vented her anger.

"What the hell do you think your doing? Who gave you the right to walk inside his room and start pumping him for answers?"

Doctors, nurses, and patients around the hallway got quiet as they eavesdropped and stared at the fighting feline and hedgehog.

"I'm a Psychologist. I specialize in evaluating troubled children. That boy needs help. He's been through a tragic experience and needs to talk about it."

"What you're doing is not helping him, it's making everything worse!" Sophie yelled. "Did you see the look on that kid's face?" She pointed towards his hospital room door.

"Listen, he's the _only_ witness we have to the murder and we need answers in order to find the man responsible. The police can't waste time waiting for him to _feel _like talking about it."

"He may have been involved in what happened that day, but I can tell you now he does not know what happened to his mother. Ever since he came out of a coma he's been asking for his mother and anticipating on seeing her soon." Sophie announced venomously.

Emily huffed in indifference. "We still need his story. He could tell us exactly what went on that day from his perspective."

"You will leave that boy alone. I will not let you play around with his head."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "We'll just see about that." She turned around in a huff and walked away.

Sophie stood watching her leave in silence. Once the the woman was out of sight she immediately ran back to Sonic's room. As she entered the room, she saw Sonic sobbing uncontrollably, hugging his blankets in dire need of warmth and comfort. Sophie ran over to his bedside.

"Sonic!" She shouted with worry, trying to get his attention. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"S-s-she s-said..." He trailed off as fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

"Forget what she said." Sophie said soothingly. Sonic shook his head. "S-she said m-mommy..." He didn't get to finish his sentence as Sophie pulled him into a strong, nurturing embrace. She hugged him tightly as he cried into her shoulder, hugging her back in desperate need of comfort.

"Shh..." Sophie soothed. "Everything is alright." Sonic's sobs softened a bit as she rocked him back and forth in her arms. She felt her own heart breaking at the sight of him so distressed and sullen. What kind of Psychologist intentionally makes someone feel this way? How can she sit there and pump a helpless five year old for answers, answers he, himself did not know.

"I promise not to let that woman come near you again." She whispered. Sonic choked back his remaining sobs as he closed his eyes, his shaking subsiding. She stayed like this, hugging him tightly for a couple of minutes before finally pulling away. She laid him back down on his bed and wiped his eyes and cheeks with clean tissues.

"Please cheer up." She begged him. "We had such a nice day today didn't we? We played a lot of games." Sonic smiled weakly from the memories. "Yeah...and I won most of em..." He quipped.

She smiled brightly as she ruffled up his quills. "Only because I'm rusty." She joked. He smiled.

"Are you feeling better now?" She asked him. He nodded. "Yeah..." He sniffed.

She tickled his tummy lightly and he giggled. "Good."

"I want you to rest now okay...?" He nodded wearily. "Okay." He whispered softly.

Sophie tucked him in and turned off the television. "I want you to forget what that woman said. Do you understand me?" She asked. He nodded. "What she said was wrong and she had no right to say it to you."

She turned off the lights but kept the room door open for him. She watched as Sonic slowly closed his eyes and snuggled into the blankets before leaving. She needed to talk to Cathy about this and now she had to pay extra attention to make sure that woman didn't come back.

* * *

><p>Another day had passed by and Sonic was laying in bed pretending to be asleep. It was around eleven o'clock at night as he lay there, eagerly waiting for something to happen. He had received another rose that morning and he was determined to find out who this secret <em>admirer<em> was. He was beginning to feel impatient and felt a little drowsy. He hoped whoever this secret admirer was would come soon.

Just when he was about to give up and fall asleep, he heard the sound of footsteps by his room door. He quickly pulled the covers over himself more, wiggled himself in a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. He heard the door opening slowly and had to resist the urge to open his eyes and see who it was. He had to wait a little longer before he could catch the mystery person in the act.

The unknown person stepped quietly inside and walked slowly up to his bedside. He could sense their presence right next to him now. Suddenly, he felt their hand on his and he could no longer hold back his curiosity. He sat up quickly and opened his eyes, ready to meet his secret admirer.

"Caught ya!" He exclaimed proudly.

The little pink hedgehog let out a small yelp in surprise and immediately turned to bolt for the door. Before she could, however, Sonic grabbed her wrist.

"Hey! Wait!" He said, gently pulling her back to him.

"I didn't mean to scare y-" He found himself dumbfounded and unable to finish his sentence as she turned around and faced him. His eyes grew wide when he realized who his secret admirer was and he couldn't prevent his cheeks from heating up.

"I-it's...you..." He whispered breathlessly.

She looked at him with a hint of confusion.

"I-I mean..." He trailed off, finding it difficult to speak. He rubbed the back of his head nervously with his free hand and tried to suppress his deepening blush.

She urged herself to say something to him. This entire time she had been visiting him she wished she could speak to him. Now that she had the chance she found herself lost for words. Her cheeks were burning and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

The room became painfully quiet as the two little hedgehogs tried composing themselves.

"So...um...what's your name?" Sonic asked shyly.

"A-Amy Rose..." She replied quietly. He smiled sheepishly at her.

All this time he had wanted to talk to her and hear her voice, now he finally had the opportunity to. He even got to finally learn her name.

"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog." He said, gaining more confidence. She smiled shyly at him.

He looked down at his hand and realized he was still holding her wrist. Embarrassed, he let go and clasped his hands together in his lap.

"So...uh...what're ya doin'?" He asked her bashfully.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at the floor. "I...I wanted to make sure you were okay..." She said in a low voice.

His cheeks began to heat up again. "Oh..."

She pulled out the red rose that laid hidden in her pajama pocket. "H-here...this is for you..." She said bashfully, handing him the rose.

He smiled at her. "Thanks. It's really nice." He complimented. She smiled at him.

"You don't need to worry about me ya know...I'm feeling much better now." He stated confidently, holding both hands behind his head.

"I'm so glad." She said with a breath of relief.

He eyed her curiously. "How did you know I was here anyway?" He asked.

"Oh...um..." She looked around nervously. "Well...I saw you...when you first came here...your room is only across the hall from mine."

"_She's staying at the hospital too?" _He thought to himself in wonder.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I live here sometimes..." She said quietly.

Now he was really confused. Before he could question her further on the subject she spoke again.

"How come you're here? What happened?" She asked him with concern, worry in her beautiful jade green eyes.

He avoided her eyes. He didn't want her to know the truth.

"It's no big deal really...I just had a little accident that's all." He lied.

She nodded sadly but then smiled. "But you're alright now." She said cheerfully.

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah."

They looked at each other, emerald meeting jade as their eyes locked on one another.

"Do you always sneak out at night?" He asked her playfully with a smile.

She blushed. "W-well...not always...just when I wanna help someone out."

"So it's not just me you visit?" He asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

She sat next to him on the bed and smiled shyly. "If I tell you something do you promise to keep it a secret?" She asked him.

He smiled. "I promise."

"Pinky promise?" She asked, holding out her hand. He chuckled, linking his pinky finger with hers.

"I pinky promise." He said. She smiled and giggled softly as they completed the gesture.

"Alright...I sneak out sometimes so I can give people some hope."

"Hope?" He looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"When people wake up and see the roses...it makes them feel happy and it helps them get better. The roses give them hope that they will get well soon." She smiled at him.

He merely stared at her speechless, in shock from her explanation. After a couple of moments of silence she spoke again.

"The roses helped you too..." She whispered shyly.

He smiled brightly at her. "Yeah...they really did." She blushed.

"That's really nice of you Amy...what you're doing...I mean." He whispered bashfully, looking away from her. He felt his cheeks burning again. Why did she make him feel so funny inside? Aside from the weird feelings, he really enjoyed her company.

She smiled sheepishly. "You really think so?" She asked him.

"Yeah." His emerald orbs reunited with her jade ones as their gazes locked on one another.

"You can't tell anyone though. It's our secret." She stated. "If the nurses find out...I'll get in trouble. I'm not allowed to leave my bed." She said.

"Don't worry...we made a pinky promise remember?" He chuckled. She giggled and nodded.

"I have to go back to bed now." She said, suddenly getting up.

He frowned. "W-wait!" He stuttered.

She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Can ya come back tomorrow?" He asked her.

She smiled sheepishly and nodded.

He smiled happily, already excited.

They looked at each other intently, neither uttering a single word. Before he realized what had happened, she had run up to him and quickly embraced him in a strong, affectionate hug. He blushed furiously, unsure of how to react. "U-uh..." He muttered weakly as he felt her squeeze him tightly. He returned the hug just as affectionately albeit feeling immensely shy and embarrassed.

She pulled away blushing uncontrollably. "I'm so happy you're okay now." She whispered shyly.

Before he could respond, she got up and headed back towards the door. She looked back at him and smiled.

"Goodnight Sonic, see you tomorrow." She whispered.

He smiled back at her. "Goodnight Amy."

They both gave each other a small wave goodbye as she opened the door and left the room. He sighed contentedly as he lay back down on his bed pulling the sheets back over himself. He couldn't control the little grin that kept appearing over his small muzzle. He couldn't wait to see Amy again tomorrow, he already began thinking of different things for them to do. He lay there staring up at the ceiling daydreaming of what games they could play together and what conversations they could have.

He felt so happy at that moment. He finally made a new friend and she happened to be really nice. He didn't care that his only friend at the moment happened to be a girl, knowing the boys at school would surely tease him for that. He was still surprised to of met her here at the hospital though. He was beginning to think he would never see her again. He sighed happily again as he made himself comfortable in the blankets and closed his eyes with a smile still spread across his face.

* * *

><p>The next evening Amy returned just as she promised and the two little hedgehogs were in the middle of a competitive game of "Rock Paper Scissors". They had been up for a while, sitting on his bed, playing various board games the nurses had brought up to keep him entertained throughout the day.<p>

"It's your turn...and it better be good." Amy teased, trying to suppress her giggles.

Sonic smirked at her. "Just you wait and see." He challenged cockily.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!" They both chanted together as they shook their hands preparing to unveil the element of their choice.

Sonic held his fist out having chosen rock while Amy held her hand out flat choosing paper.

"Paper beats rock." She said triumphantly with a smile. She placed her flat hand on top of his fist.

He furrowed his brow. "You gotta be cheating." He whined.

She shook her head in protest. "No!" She giggled. "You're just not that good at this game." She teased.

He scowled at her but laughed. "Yeah...well...I beat you at most of the board games."

She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

They both stared at each other then burst out into laughter.

"You wanna play Connect Four?" He asked her after their laughter had quieted down.

"Okay."

Sonic grabbed the box and opened it, taking out all the pieces. Amy helped him set up the stand and divided the different colored checkered pieces.

"What color do you wanna be?" She asked him.

"I'll be...red." He said.

"Alright." She handed him the red checkers and pushed her own into a small pile.

"You go first." He suggested with a smile. "You're gonna need the head start." He teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him again. "Fine, but when I win you'll regret going so easy on me."

She placed her piece in the desired slot of her choice. He chuckled lightly as he grabbed his own piece and placed it in the same slot above hers.

They continued stacking their pieces in different slots, teasing each other and laughing.

"Nurse Sophie told me I'll be leaving soon." He mentioned out of the blue. "She said I'm almost all better now." He said, adding another piece to a slot.

Amy smiled at him sadly. She didn't want him to go. She was afraid she wouldn't get to see him again.

"I can't wait!" He exclaimed. "It's so boring sitting in bed all day."

She added another piece, preventing him from winning. He smirked at her.

"I bet my mommy's excited too. I know she misses me." He said, while blocking her from a possible win.

He looked up at her when he noticed how quiet she had gotten all of a sudden. She tried to force a smile but he saw right thought it.

"Hey...What's wrong?" He asked her in concern.

"N-nothing..." She stuttered, while trying to plan her next move.

"It doesn't look like nothing." He stated, looking into her moistened jade eyes.

She looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together and frowned.

"Did I...do something wrong?" He asked confused, starting to worry.

She shook her head. "No. I just...I don't want you to leave." She whispered, looking back up to meet his gaze.

He looked at her a bit taken aback. "Why not?" He asked.

"Because I'm afraid I won't get to see you again." She admitted, her cheeks blushing a cherry red.

"Oh." He said flabbergasted. He felt his own cheeks beginning to heat up.

He smiled at her sheepishly. "Don't worry...we'll still see each other." He said confidently.

"We will?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

"Yeah! You're going to my school now aren't ya?" He stated with a grin.

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

"We can play on the playground and eat lunch together." He said excitedly, his grin growing.

"That sounds fun." She said, her smile also growing.

Feeling better she resumed the game, adding another piece to a slot. He smiled at her, grabbing another red checker and thinking of where he should place it.

"Ya know..." He said slowly, his cheeks flushing. "My mommy told me you could come over to play." He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

He nodded sheepishly. "I know my mommy will really like you." He stated, his cheeks a bright scarlet.

Amy couldn't stop the large smile that spread across her face. Her heart felt warm like it was fluttering inside her chest. Sonic made her feel so happy and special. She would love to meet his mother. She never got to know her own mommy. The closest she's ever gotten to having a mother was Ms. Cathy and sometimes Ms. Reeves.

Sonic placed his red checkered piece into another slot and smiled slyly at Amy. "Connect four! I win!" He shouted triumphantly while his finger traced the perfect row of red checkers. She crossed her arms and made a face at him.

"Aw, don't be mad Amy..." He teased. She smiled mischievously and began tickling his sides. He fell over on the bed knocking the game along with its pieces onto the floor with a thud.

He laughed uncontrollably. "A-Amy! S-stop it!" He giggled.

She shook her head. "Not-uh!" She said between her own giggles.

"O-oh yeah...two can p-play at t-this game." He said between laughs, squirming to escape.

He grabbed her sides gently and began to tickle her back. She started to laugh, her tickles she was giving him fading away as she tried to pry his hands away from her sides. She fell over laughing as he sat up and tickled her back playfully. The tables had suddenly turned.

"Ha! How do _you_ like it!" He teased.

She wiggled around trying to get away from him. Her eyes began to water as she continued to giggle helplessly.

"N-No more!" She begged. "I-I give up." She said through her laughter.

He smiled victoriously as he stopped his tickle attack. "Looks like I just won again!" He proclaimed proudly.

She poked his tummy playfully and he chuckled. The two little hedgehogs took a moment to catch their breaths and compose themselves. Amy looked around at the mess they had accidentally created through their playtime together.

"We better clean this up before we get caught." She stated, sliding off the bed.

"You're right." He agreed.

They picked up cards, checkers, pawns, and other pieces that went to several different games and began to organize them. They placed the boards in their correct boxes along with the matching pieces that associated them. Lastly, the Connect Four game that had fallen onto the floor along with its pieces was all that remained.

Amy picked up the stand and placed it on the bed as she gathered up the pieces. As Sonic was about to grab the stand to put it in the box Amy had gone to do the same. He found himself accidentally placing his hand on top of hers. The two little hedgehogs both blushed and withdrew their hands quickly.

"Sorry." They both said in unison. Their cheeks both flushed even more.

Sonic let out a nervous laugh as he grabbed the remaining pieces and placed them in the box. Amy took the games and put them back on the floor by the bed before sighing in relief.

"Now they'll never know." She whispered with a giggle. He smiled.

Exhaustion suddenly taking over her, Amy laid down on the bed beside him. He smiled sheepishly, feeling his cheeks getting hot again. She smiled wearily at him. "I just wanna rest for a little while...before I head back to my room." She whispered softly.

He nodded. "Okay." He whispered. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them over himself and her as he made himself comfortable. They both laid on their sides facing one another, emerald and jade orbs locked in an intense gaze. _"Gosh she's pretty..." _He found himself unconsciously thinking.

They stayed like this for a while. Amy had closed her eyes and Sonic found himself battling to keep himself from closing his own.

"Sonic...?" She whispered softly to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, opening his heavy eyes.

"We'll always be friends...won't we?" She asked.

He smiled tiredly. "Of course we will..." He whispered.

"Do you promise?" She opened her heavy eyes to look at him.

"I pinky promise." He chuckled softly. She smiled wearily.

He lifted up his hand and held out his pinky finger for her to take. She did the same and moved her hand to his. They both smiled at each other, never taking their eyes off the other while they linked their pinky fingers to seal their promise.

* * *

><p>It was around two thirty in the morning and to say Cathy felt exhausted would be an understatement. She had just finished chugging down a cup of hot coffee and was doing her rounds, checking on the sleeping patients on that ward. She yawned tiredly as she headed towards a certain pink hedgehog's room. She had to periodically check on her at all times in case her illness picked up again.<p>

She walked down the quiet hallway reaching her destination. She let out a gasp in sheer horror as she entered the little hedgehog's room only to see an empty bed with unmade sheets.

"Amy?" She called out in a whisper, looking around the room nervously. "Amy, where are you?"

When she realized the little girl was no where to be found within the room she began to panic. She left the room in a rush and began checking around the hallway.

"_Amy..." _She sighed in frustration. She just knew it. Amy _was _sneaking out a lot more than she had let on. This wasn't good. Why can't that girl understand she needs to stay in bed.

Worried, she began to search throughout the floor for the missing child, checking patient's rooms, the hallways, and even the restrooms. _"Oh, where could she be?" _She thought, panic stricken.

She then found herself remembering the events of the other night when she had caught Amy out of bed. With her last hope of finding Amy before having a panic attack, Cathy headed towards Sonic's room. She quickly reached the little boy's room and opened the door quietly, ready to gently scold a certain pink hedgehog for sneaking out of bed.

She stopped herself short as she entered the room and looked towards the bed. The two little hedgehog's in question were sleeping soundingly next to one another, their pinky fingers still linked together. She felt her heart warm up at the adorable sight. It appears Sonic figured out who his secret admirer was after all. Had it been any other doctor or nurse to walk in on them, they both would have had a good talking to. Even Sophie would have scolded the two of them. She could be such a prude sometimes.

"_I suppose I could let the two of you off the hook this one time." _She thought to herself with a smirk.

She quietly walked over to the edge of the bed and gently pulled the blankets down. Leaning down, she gently picked up the sleeping girl, holding her bridal style and pulled the blankets back over Sonic.

"Mmm..." Amy mumbled softly in her slumber.

Cathy quietly left the room and slowly walked Amy back to her bedroom. She tucked the little hedgehog in the bed she's supposed to stay in, kissed her cheek, and smiled at her. She found the whole relationship between the two little ones endearing. She wouldn't be surprised in the least if the two of them fell in love as they grew older. She placed a hand on Amy's forehead and was relieved to find no fever. Knowing all was well, she headed back towards the bedroom door.

"Sweet dreams little miss Rose." She whispered before quietly exiting the room.

* * *

><p>Sonic waited impatiently for Amy's arrival. She was running awfully late tonight. He let out a sigh as his eyes stayed glued to the door. <em>"What if she got in trouble?" <em>He thought to himself, beginning to worry. He remembered falling asleep after making his promise to her and when he woke up the next morning she wasn't there. _"She probably left while I was sleeping." _He tried assuring himself.

Time seemed to be passing painfully slow as he continued to wait. _"What if something bad happened to her?" _He thought uneasily. Unable to stand it any longer, he slide himself out of bed. He was happy to finally have the IV removed from his arm this morning. Sophie had told him he'll be released from the hospital tomorrow morning. He couldn't wait to be reunited with his mother, but he really wanted to see Amy again one more time before he left.

He wobbled at first, almost tumbling over as he took his first couple of steps. He held one hand against the counter for support as he steadied himself. He hadn't left his bed in a week and his legs felt like jelly. _"She said her room was across the hall from mine." _He reminded himself as he slowly opened the door. He looked around the deserted hallway cautiously before stepping out of the room.

He looked around the hallway curiously as he sped walked, trying to find her room. It was times like these where he wished he knew how to read better, as he passed by different rooms, each having a chart by the door with the patients name and information written on it. He passed by a room that caught his eye and stopped. He peaked through the open doorway to make sure no nurses or doctors were inside.

When he knew the coast was clear, he walked in cautiously. He looked around the room in a bit of awe. It almost looked like a little girls bedroom rather than a regular hospital room such as his. He saw multiple stuffed animals laying around in a corner, some bedroom furniture, and pink curtains over the windows. The bed also had thick, pink blankets and frilly pillow cases.

This _had_ to be her room. She did say she lived at the hospital sometimes. He still wondered about that. How can somebody live here? Where did her parents sleep? His mind swam with different unanswered questions. He sighed in disappointment as he sat on the bed. It was nicely made, showing no evidence of anyone having laid in it. _"Amy didn't say anything about leaving..." _He thought, feeling confused. It was as if she simply disappeared into thin air.

He sniffed the air in the room. He could smell the scent of strawberries mixed with the scent of the hospital's unnaturally sterile air. It was her sweet smell. This was definitely her room. There was no doubt about it in his mind. He found himself laying across her bed, arms crossed behind his head, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. _"Where could she be?" _He wondered.

He laid there for a couple of minutes before getting up. He sighed, hanging his head low dejectedly as he left her room. He walked stealthily back to his own room, distracted by his racing thoughts. He sat back in his bed feeling sullen. He wanted to see Amy again before he left. He wanted to introduce her to his mother tomorrow when she came to take him home. _"Where did she go? Why didn't she say anything to me?" _He thought sadly.


	5. The Start of a New Life

_**Wow, I don't know where to even begin here. I just want to say that I am so sorry it has taken me literally two whole years just to update this story. I never anticipated this disastrous outcome nor did I want it to turn out that way and I've felt guilty the entire time. I actually feel so happy and liberated to get this chapter finally completed! I just hope you readers who liked this story are still interested in it two years later. I had a lot of things happen to me which caused this story to sit on the back burner for a while. First, it was because I had to move to a new house and getting settled on top of school made things being done on the computer a slow process. Then that summer two years ago, I reread the first two chapters of this story and cringed. I thought they were so terribly bad and I really wanted to rewrite them and make them extremely awesome. The problem with that was, I would write pages upon pages worth of stuff and when I went to save my file something terrible would happen where it wouldn't save and the stuff I wrote was lost. This happened to me literally three times while just trying to rewrite chapter one of this story.**_

_**It was a total disaster and it honestly crippled me because it made me lose the desire to even try or bother. After a while I just gave up altogether. I sit back now and think that maybe it was a sign though, to just leave the story the way it is and continue. But even before I moved this chapter was about 80% complete but it just didn't sound right or it just wasn't written good enough in my opinion and I had trouble trying to figure out the direction I wanted to go with this chapter. This chapter went through an up and down roller coaster and over three rewrites before I finally got it up here on the site. Again, what a liberating feeling to finally get through this chapter! I am just so sorry I made you guys wait so long. I really am. To be honest, I had lost a lot of interest in this story for a long time, but I didn't want to discontinue it, just keep it on the back burner for a while. I don't know. But recently, I found myself regaining interest in this story again and now I want to write the other chapters and update. I think my updates will flow and be so much faster now that I've finally gotten through this obstacle! I just want to thank you readers for all of your support, reviews, favorites, and follows, and for being patient and waiting it out for two whole years for an update. Thank you! :)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five – The Start of a New Life<strong>

* * *

><p>Sophie walked slowly dragging her feet across the hallway floor. She couldn't get the sense of foreboding out of her heart and mind. She dreaded what she had to do this morning and tried stalling by distracting herself with other patients. This morning she had to break the unbearable news to Sonic about his mother and his new future. She just didn't have the heart to do this but she had no choice. She knew Sonic would not take the news well. He'll probably hate her after she tells him. She sighed anxiously as she headed up towards the little hedgehog's hospital room. Moments like these were some of the most difficult parts of her job, breaking bad news to families or patients that will completely cripple or change their lives forever. His room came into her view and she took in a deep breath. This past week she had grown so close to this child, she couldn't bear hurting him and crushing his hopes and dreams like she had to now. She spent the whole week protecting him and trying to keep him optimistic. She paused halfway to his door and leaned against the wall. She mentally scolded herself for acting like this. She had to get herself together. The young nurse took some deep breaths, rehearsing what she would say to him and tried composing herself.<p>

"It'll be alright." Cathy said, making Sophie jump.

She looked up to see the older nurse standing across the hallway with a sympathetic expression.

"I don't know Cathy...I feel so awful right now..." She stated, looking down dejectedly at her shoes. Cathy walked over to her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"Sonic's a strong kid...he'll get through this." Cathy told her in a soft, comforting voice.

Sophie could only nod. She had to fight the tears that were brimming in her eyes, threatening to come out at any moment. "I got his hopes up...he's going to hate me after this..." She said in a low voice.

"I doubt that Sophie. Even if he is angry with you...he'll understand why you did what you did when he's older." Cathy stated firmly.

"You're right..." Sophie said looking back up at Cathy.

"When am I not?" Cathy said half-jokingly with a smirk. Sophie smiled a little.

"I guess I better go talk to him...Ms. Reeves said she would be arriving this afternoon." Sophie said taking in another deep breath.

"Be strong Sophie, he's gonna need your support right now." Cathy said, giving Sophie's back a small push forward. Sophie nodded and began walking towards the little hedgehog's door.

* * *

><p>"Did you sleep well?" Sophie asked the little cobalt hedgehog sitting beside her.<p>

"Yeah!" Sonic exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement he was feeling. He couldn't wait to see his mother again. The moment she walked through that door he was going to run into her arms and give her the biggest hug she's ever had. Sophie smiled sadly as she continued to remove the bandages from Sonic's head. She was trying to find the right moment to break the devastating news to him but couldn't find the heart to do it. He was just so happy and excited…

"So...when is mommy coming to get me?" Sonic suddenly asked while looking up at Sophie with excitement. Her forced smile evaporated from her face as she looked despondently at the little hedgehog sitting on the bed. He watched her curiously, his smile fading, feeling a little confused at her sudden change in demeanor. She closed her eyes for a moment and willed herself to continue. She took a deep breath and exhaled. _"It's now or never Sophie." _She told herself. She could not back out now.

"Sonic...there's...something you and I need to talk about..." Sophie said in a soft, quiet voice. She sat down on the side of his bed and motioned him to scoot closer to her. He looked up at her with perplexity, immediately sensing something was wrong. He could see the pain in her expression and the hurt in her eyes and he began to feel a little uneasy.

"What do you mean? What's wrong Nurse Sophie?" He asked her nervously.

Sophie felt tears beginning to form in her eyes and choked back a sob. She felt herself beginning to shake from her nerves. She's been down this avenue many times before in her career but nothing felt as difficult as this moment did. She sighed dismally and closed her eyes as she tried to keep her tears from falling out of her eyes. She suddenly felt a little hand rubbing her back gently and she opened up her eyes to look as Sonic tried to comfort her.

"It's okay...don't be sad..." He whispered while looking up at her. She felt the urge to break down right there. _"I can't do this!" _She wailed mentally to herself. How can she destroy this child's hopes and dreams? How is she supposed to tell him the only love he had in his life was gone forever? He was so happy and excited...She was beginning to lose the inner strength she had built up specifically for this moment. All the encouragement Cathy had given her would be going in vain.

She felt a tear rolling down her cheek as she took his one hand in hers. Sonic was beginning to get worried as he looked into her eyes. "Sonic..." She began trying to keep her voice even. "Your mother...she's not..." She trailed off having immense difficulty finishing this one sentence. She took in a breath and squeezed his small hand gently. "She's not coming..." She finished looking at him with a solemn expression.

Sonic's eyes widened in shock and he looked at her in confusion. Sophie was beginning to frighten him. Why was she crying? Why did she say his mother was not going to come? His frown deepened as he began to feel his hands getting clammy and his stomach churning in unease. His heart began to race, pounding in his chest as his worry and confusion grew.

"A-am I gonna meet mommy somewhere else?" He asked her anxiously, hoping she would say yes.

Sophie stared intently into his emerald green eyes while squeezing his little hand and shook her head slowly.

"No Sonic..." She choked in a low, unsteady voice.

Sonic slowly pulled his hand away from hers and placed it in his lap. He looked down dejectedly, twiddling his fingers nervously. After a few moments of silence he looked back up at the nurse, tears brimming in his eyes, ready to fall down his small muzzle at any moment.

"I-I don't u-understand..." He stammered softly, trying to fight back the oncoming tears.

"Mommy loves me...she wouldn't forget about me...or leave me behind..." His tears were now streaming down his soft cheeks and he didn't bother wiping them away. His lower lip quivered and his body began to shiver. Sophie had silent tears running down her cheeks and she fought back the sobs in her throat. She had to keep herself together as much as she possibly could.

Sonic shook his head in disbelief. "M-mommy p-promised me..." He said in a low crestfallen voice. "S-she p-promised me she w-would never leave me!" He cried out.

Sophie held her hand over her mouth as she tried to desperately hold back her sobs. This simply was not fair. Why did things have to turn out this way? This little boy was so sweet and caring. He didn't deserve to endure any of this.

"D-does m-mommy not l-love me a-anymore?" He asked her, his voice almost inaudible. "I-is s-she mad at m-me for what I d-did?" He wiped some of the wet tears from his cheeks and looked up at Sophie, his face filled with hurt.

Sophie slowly pulled him to her, pulling him into a nurturing embrace. He buried his face into her as he felt an aching pain in his heart. She could feel his body quivering as he tried to hold back the uncontrollable sobs that threatened to escape him and could hear his irregular breathing. She rocked him slowly back and forth as he began to whimper.

"Sonic...your mother...she loved you very much..." Sophie whispered in a soft voice. He continued to whimper in her arms, shaking uncontrollably. She swallowed, forcing herself to continue. "You did nothing wrong sweetheart...there's nothing for your mother to be angry about." He shook his head in disagreement.

He pulled away from her suddenly and looked up at her. "When _can _I see mommy again?" He asked her in despair. "I-I still have to t-tell her I-I'm sorry!" He said as new tears began to pour down his soft cheeks.

Sophie felt a sting in her heart. She looked at the little hedgehog still in her arms and wished he would understand. This was becoming too much for her.

"Sonic..." She whispered in a sad voice.

"I-I'll see her again soon...w-won't I?" He asked her desperately, doubt seeping in his heart.

Sophie began to break down into hysteric sobs. She wiped at her eyes furiously and tried to steady her uneven breaths. She blinked, trying to clear her blurry vision and looked at the sullen child next to her. She placed her hands gently on his shoulders and met his gaze.

"Sonic...I-I'm sorry...but your mother...s-she's not coming back..."

Sonic's eyes widened and more tears began to form within the pools of emerald green. He shook his head slowly in disbelief.

"Why!" He asked her, completely heartbroken. "She has to come back! She just has to!" His body shook fiercely and he cupped his face in his hands as he began to weep.

"S-she's gone Sonic...I'm so sorry..." Sophie managed in a whisper, wiping her eyes.

She tried to pull the sobbing child into her arms to comfort him but he pulled away from her.

"N-no..." He whispered shaking his head. "Y-you're w-wrong! She's g-gonna be here! She promised me!" He wailed in agony.

"Sonic...please..." Sophie cried, begging him. She held her arms out to embrace him.

Sonic shook his head furiously. "No! No! NO! NO! NO!" He shouted, sobbing hysterically as he leaned over. He began to cough from his constant cries. His head was now pounding, his body was shaking, and his breathing became irregular.

"I-I don't b-believe you! Y-you're lying! W-why! W-why are you being so m-mean!" He shouted at her in denial.

"Sonic!" She pleaded grabbing his wrists. He continued to struggle, trying to pull away from her.

"No! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" He shouted angrily.

Sophie forcibly pulled Sonic into a strong hug and refused to let go. He continued to struggle, pounding his little fists against her. His words hurt her like fire but she had to be strong. She had to be strong for him. He needed her right now even if he didn't realize it. She hugged him tightly, her arms wrapped strongly around him. Sonic's struggles began to weaken as he went limp in her arms beginning to break down and cry. His anger and denial died out and changed into heartbreak and realization.

"Mommy..." He sobbed softly into Sophie's shoulder.

"Shh...let it out...let all the hurt out..." She choked in a whisper, tears rolling down her cheeks. She began rocking him back and forth slowly again while rubbing the back of his head softly. He cried loudly, wailing in agony. He squeezed her tightly and clung to her as if for dear life.

"S-she broke her promise..." He cried. "She promised we would always be together..." He said in a weak, soft voice.

Sophie rubbed his back soothingly as he laid his head on her shoulder. His cries began to quiet down when he felt too tired to go on, his eyes completely dried out from crying, unable to produce anymore tears. His sobs subsided and turned into hiccups as he sniffled and wiped his face and eyes on her scrubs.

Sophie held Sonic tightly in her arms for a while trying her best to comfort him. Time felt frozen to her, as she held him. All she could hear was his cries and hiccups. After a while he began to calm down. She was not sure how much time had passed as she held him.

"I never..." He trailed off sniffling and wiping his teary, wet eyes hurriedly. "I-I never got t-to tell m-mommy I l-love her...I never g-got to say s-sorry to her..." He whispered shakily, fresh new tears forming in his eyes.

Sophie hugged him tighter and kissed the top of his head gently. She continued to rub the back of his head slowly trying to comfort him and calm him down. She could feel his little heart beating rapidly against her chest. He whimpered slightly and began squeezing her tightly as fresh silent tears continued to roll down his muzzle.

"I-I...I didn't even get t-to say g-goodbye..." He whispered hoarsely, burying his face into her.

Sophie slowly pulled away and looked at the heartbroken child in her arms. She gently took his chin and lifted it up so that his eyes met her own.

"Sonic...listen to me..." He whimpered as he tried to hold back fresh sobs threatening to escape him.

"Sometimes..." She trailed off trying to find her words. She wiped a loose tear that fell from Sonic's eye. "Sometimes bad things happen...Bad things...that nobody has any control over..." He sniffed as he listened to her words. His lower lip quivering as the urge to cry started to grow stronger.

"It's not fair!" The little hedgehog yelled in frustration and sadness.

Sophie simply nodded, agreeing with him. "You're right..." She whispered as she caressed his cheek affectionately. "Sometimes life just isn't fair...It can even be cruel..." She kissed his forehead gently.

"But life can also be happy and wonderful Sonic...Your mother wanted you to be safe and happy. She wanted you to grow up, make friends, and live life to its fullest."

Sonic looked down dejectedly. "H-how can I be h-happy without mommy..."

Sophie bit her lip. After a brief moment of silence she spoke again. "Your mother never left you Sonic." She said firmly.

He looked at her in confusion and a small hint of hope filled his eyes. "W-what do you mean Nurse Sophie?" He asked her.

"She's all around you. She's in the wind...the trees...the flowers...the sky...and most of all in _you_." He listened quietly, taking her words in.

"She's in here Sonic." Sophie said as she put her hand against his chest where his heart was. "She's in your heart...and she will _never_ leave you."

Without warning, the little boy fell into Sophie's arms hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. He started to cry again, his moist tears and runny nose rubbing against her hospital scrubs. "It's going to be alright..." Sophie whispered into his ear.

"I-I miss mommy..." He cried weakly.

"I know you do sweetheart...But just remember...she's always with you Sonic..." Sophie kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Your mother loves you...and that will never change no matter what." He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. He was still just a baby. He needed so much comfort, guidance, and love. She gently stroked his quills as she rocked him back and forth in her arms.

"I-it's my fault..." He whispered softly, tears building in his eyes once again. Sophie could feel his hot, salty tears against her neck as the child began to shiver in her arms.

"Sonic..." She whispered while cradling him in her arms. "Nothing is your fault...please...don't blame yourself."

"Y-yes i-it is..." He mumbled in despair. "I-I told m-mommy my secret...and I-I made d-daddy angry..." He began wiping his eyes while sniffling.

"D-daddy...h-he hurt m-mommy didn't he...?" He asked in a low whisper. His tears rolled down his cheeks silently as he thought back to that horrible day he told his mother the truth.

Sophie looked down at Sonic temporarily lost for words. His ears were drooped and he looked to be in deep thought. Did he know something like this would have happened?

"I-it's a-all b-because of me...Everything..." He trailed off as he buried his face into her neck, desperate for warmth. "E-everything...i-is all m-my fault..." He whimpered, his cries growing louder as his shoulders shook violently.

"Sonic...you need to stop thinking like that..." Sophie said in a stern, but gentle voice. "It isn't true...Nothing is your fault. Do you understand?" Sonic nodded slowly, feeling too tired to argue. No matter how much Nurse Sophie told him it wasn't his fault, it didn't stop him from thinking it was.

Sophie continued to rock Sonic back and forth slowly in her arms, cradling him. She hugged him tightly and continued to rub the back of his head. His crying began to quiet down and his body stopped shaking as he began to relax. "Shh..." She whispered soothingly as she began to rub his back. They stayed like this for a while and Sophie was not quite sure how much time had passed on by.

She noticed his grip on her had significantly loosened and he felt limp in her arms. She looked down at the melancholy boy to find he had fallen asleep. This whole traumatic experience had really worn him out. The poor thing...she could not blame him in the least. She watched him for a moment as he lay on her shoulder breathing softly. She sighed sadly as she recounted the events that only just took place a couple of minutes ago.

She knew that no matter what, breaking the news to him was going to be a difficult and heartbreaking experience. She had grown so attached and fond of this little boy she had the utmost confidence in herself that she could do this and that she should be the one to tell him. But as the day finally came, she found herself disheartened greatly. She never realized just how heartbroken she would actually feel herself after telling him the news...She still needed to tell him about his uncertain future, where he will be living, and who will be looking after him.

Sophie used her one hand to slowly pull down the sheets on the hospital bed, trying hard not to wake the dozing child in her arms. She gently laid Sonic down and pulled the covers over him and kissed his forehead softly. "I promise...everything will be okay..." She whispered to him quietly as she caressed his moistened cheek. She sat on the side of the bed and watched him for a small while before deciding she should start getting him ready to be discharged. The police had gathered several of his belongings and sent them to the hospital in two suit cases. They will be the only belongings he has left from his past life.

* * *

><p>Sonic opened his eyes slowly as he began to wake from his light slumber. He felt slightly disoriented and for a few moments just laid there trying to collect himself. He hugged the bed sheets tightly and remained still having no desire to get up. His eyes felt extremely dry and heavy, his nose felt stuffy, and he still had a slight headache. He turned over to his side clutching the thin sheets with a deep frown on his face. Sonic stared out the hospital window distantly feeling completely numb inside.<p>

The weather was dark and gloomy as if it would rain at any moment. It was a good reflection on how he felt right then. It was still hard for him to accept everything that had happened just that morning. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe what Sophie had told him...He felt fresh tears brim his emerald green eyes as his thoughts trailed back to his mother. He missed her so much. All he wanted to do was give her a big hug and tell her how much he loved and needed her...

"M-mommy...please come back..." He whispered dejectedly.

He whimpered, making soft sobs as tears rolled down his little cheeks. He was suffering in internal agony, feeling completely broken from the inside. He never knew his heart could possibly ache as much as it was at that moment.

"Mommy...I-I need you with me..." He pleaded, hoping his words would reach her somehow.

"I-I don't wanna be all alone..." He felt scared. The thought of living his life without her...being all alone...it terrified him. He couldn't even imagine living his life without his mother...this past week without her was painful enough.

He remained in this position for minutes, crying silently as he stared out the window wishing the rain to come and help wash away his pain. He used his pillow to wipe his soaked eyes and sighed dismally, taking in deep breaths and exhaling in an attempt to calm down. He hoped nobody would come into his room. He just wanted to be alone for a while.

After a while he forced himself to sit up and began rubbing his eyes groggily. As he looked around his surroundings he noticed two suit cases sitting on the floor next to the door. Feeling curious, he slowly pulled the sheets off of himself and slid his legs over the edge of the bed. He took in another deep breath before his feet touched the cold, hard floor.

He walked over towards the two suit cases and tried to lift them up. They were a little heavy but he managed to carry them towards his bed. He picked one of them up and placed it on the bed and opened it. He saw some of his old clothes neatly folded on top of one another along with some of his old toys from his bedroom. A surprised gasp escaped his lips and his eyes widened to see his beloved stuffed chao Charlie packed besides his clothing.

"Charlie!" He exclaimed tearfully as he grabbed the stuff animal and hugged it tightly. He rocked back and forth slowly as he hugged his stuffed companion for dear life. "I thought I was never gonna see you again." He cried, some of his tears soaking the stuffed animal. He felt safe with his stuffed animal by his side. It was his support blanket and at this moment he desperately needed it. With one arm still clutching Charlie tightly, he began to continue rummaging through his old suit case.

After pushing some clothes aside a small gasp escaped his lips as his emerald eyes fell on a single photograph. It was a group photo of him and his parents. He shakily picked up the photo and stared at it as fresh tears began to brim his eyes. "Mommy…" He whimpered weakly, feeling a loose tear slip down his left cheek. His eyes then fell on the image of his father. His eyes narrowed and he suddenly felt a fit of anger fuel through him. Without warning, the little hedgehog began ripping his father's image out of the photo. He tore his father's image into tiny little pieces until he was no longer recognizable and let the little pieces slip out of his hands and litter the hospital room floor. He hated his father. He took his mother away from him and cast him into a realm of misery and despair. After a minute of staring blankly at the floor where the pieces had fallen, his gaze then returned to what remained of the family photo. His mother was hugging him lovingly and looking straight into the camera with a bright smile. He kissed her image and hugged the image to himself, wishing he could be in his mother's arms. This photo was all he had left of her now. He gently placed his mother's picture back into his suit case, tucked underneath his clothes.

Sonic's ears perked up as he suddenly heard the door creak open and turned around to see Nurse Cathy staring at him with a sad, sympathetic smile. "…Sonic, it's time to go…" She said in a soft voice. He looked at her nervously, fresh tears threatening his emerald orbs. "Where are we going…?" He asked her, beginning to feel scared. Cathy frowned and slowly entered the room. She approached the sullen hedgehog and took his hands in her own before kneeling down so that she was at his face level. "There's a really nice woman here to see you…She's going to be the one who will be taking care of you now." When Sonic didn't say anything she sighed and continued. "I know you're scared Sonic, but everything is going to be alright…" She tried to reassure him, knowing her words of encouragement were most likely fruitless. She didn't blame him for feeling frightened in the least.

Sonic shook his head fiercely as loose tears leaked from his wide, frightened eyes. "I don't wanna go!" He cried.

Cathy gently wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. He whimpered in her arms and hugged her back, desperate for warmth and comfort. "I know you don't wanna go…and I don't blame ya…I wish things could be different Sonic…I really do…but it can't." She told him honestly.

She felt her heart sink when she felt him trembling in her arms. This poor kid, he didn't deserve to go through any of this. For a few minutes Cathy just continued to hold the little cobalt hedgehog in her arms, rubbing his back soothingly. "You got your whole life ahead of you kid…Things are going to get better and you're going to accomplish many great things when you get older…" She told him. Sonic sniffed and pulled away slowly to look up at her.

"I know it seems hard now…but it will get better. I promise you." She told him sincerely.

She slowly rose from her kneeling position and turned her attention to Sonic's two suit cases. She quickly picked out an outfit for him to wear and closed his one suitcase before placing it along with the second suitcase onto the floor. Her gaze then fell back onto the little boy beside her who was staring blankly at his bare feet. Cathy felt her eyes moisten and a frown tugged at her lips. It truly broke her heart to see this kid who was so full of life now looking completely lost and broken.

"Ms. Reeves is waiting for you Sonic… you gotta get ready now…" She said sadly, gently taking his hand and redirecting him to his set of clothes lying folded on the hospital bed. Sonic just merely nodded in silence. He felt too tired, lost, and confused to argue and resist anymore. He really didn't understand what was happening to him or where he was even going and he was starting to lose the desire to care. All he felt was emptiness and heartache now. He wanted his mother back. He couldn't handle living without her. He had all to do to get through this one horrible day without her. A few loose tears escaped his eyes and his lower lip quivered. "Momma…" He cried, rubbing his eyes. Upon seeing Sonic's sudden state of despair, Cathy lifted him up into her arms and held him close, rocking him back and forth. "Oh, Sonic…" She whispered sadly. He was only five years old. He was still just a baby. He couldn't handle or understand any of this. It just wasn't fair. Why did life have to be so cruel?

* * *

><p>Sonic looked at the light brown Manx cat standing in front of the exit doors of the hospital apprehensively. His grip on Nurse Sophie and Nurse Cathy's hands tightened and he looked up at them pleadingly. He didn't want to leave the last form of comfort and safety he had left. He didn't want to leave with this strange woman he didn't know. This whole concept was really terrifying and confusing to him. Why did he have to go with this woman? Why couldn't he just stay here at the hospital instead? Amy said she lived here sometimes…so why can't he? A deeper frown tugged at his lips as he remembered about Amy. He never got to say goodbye…and had no idea where she went. He made a promise to her that they would always be friends, that even when he left the hospital they would still see each other. Now he was doubtful he would even see her again and he never felt lonelier than he did right at that moment.<p>

"It's okay Sonic…" Sophie said reassuringly, a sad smile on her face.

Ms. Reeves smiled lightly and somewhat shyly as she approached them. She stopped in front of a nervous Sonic and knelt down to his face level. Her crystal blue eyes met his unsure emerald ones. "Hello, Sonic. It's nice to finally meet you." She said softly, holding out her hand for him to shake.

He looked down at her outstretched hand anxiously before slowly shaking it. He felt greatly confused and wasn't sure exactly what he should say to this woman or if he should even speak to her at all. Ms. Reeves accepted his handshake as a good sign from him and smiled before standing up and glancing over at the two nurses beside him.

"Is he ready to go?" She asked them.

"Yes, all of his belongings are here." Cathy said, gesturing to the two suit cases she and Sophie had been carrying.

Ms. Reeves took hold of both suit cases gratefully and returned her gaze to the little cobalt hedgehog in front of her. "Are you ready to go, Sonic?" She asked him.

Sonic averted his eyes to the floor and slowly shook his head. A sad sigh escaped Ms. Reeves' lips as she knelt down in front of Sonic once more.

She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know this seems a little scary and confusing to you but please don't feel afraid. I just want to help and take care of you."

When Sonic remained silent she continued, trying to find things to say to set his mind more at ease. "There are other children where we are going and I'm sure you will quickly make friends and feel right at home."

"Sonic, I know you're a tough kid, you can handle this!" Cathy chimed in, trying to further reassure the little boy.

"Everything's going to be alright…" Sophie said in a soft voice.

She too knelt down and gently pulled Sonic into a loving embrace. She loved this child. If she could, she would adopt him herself, but with her job, she wouldn't be home enough and he needed a more stable lifestyle given what he has gone through. She couldn't be selfish. She hugged him tightly and he returned the hug as tears began to brim his emerald eyes. "You know I wouldn't let you go if I didn't think it was okay." She told him. He nodded dismally, wiping his fresh tears on her hospital scrubs. Sophie kissed his cheek as she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. "…Go on Sonic, it's alright." She encouraged him.

She gently pulled away and though he still looked unsure he ever so gently took hold of Ms. Reeves' hand. He looked up at Cathy who also pulled him into a loving farewell embrace and kissed his forehead. "You're gonna be just fine kid." She told him with an assuring smile. She was trying so hard to fight back her own set of tears but Sonic didn't miss the loose tears that quickly rolled down her cheeks.

Ms. Reeves glanced up at the two nurses, silently thanking them for giving Sonic the courage to trust and leave with her. He quietly took hold of his smaller suit case that was light enough for him to carry while still holding onto Ms. Reeves' hand and she quickly picked up his other suit case with her other hand. "Ready, Sonic?" Ms. Reeves asked the little hedgehog. He nodded slowly. She held his hand tighter and began to escort him out of the hospital. As they walked further away, Sonic couldn't help but look back at the two nurses who had cared for him this past week, that made him feel safe, secure, and most importantly, loved. The only other person who made him feel loved and wanted was his mother and she was gone. Now, he had to leave the only two people who have shown him similar affection and made him feel warmth and comfort in his heart. He could see them both waving goodbye to him with tears in their eyes. Sonic and Ms. Reeves exited the hospital and entered the parking lot where the two of them noticed the weather looked darker and drearier. Ms. Reeves wanted to get Sonic to his new home before the rain started to pour. She escorted Sonic to her car and placed his two suit cases in the trunk before seat belting him in the back seat. As she began to drive away, Sonic couldn't help but feel a little nervous and uneasy. Everything he knew was gone and his entire life was about to change and start anew. He looked out the window as a light drizzle began to fall and watched as the hospital began to shrink further away into the distance.

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><p><strong><em>This chapter came out a little strange and I'll admit it's probably not the best chapter I've written for this story or my other stories. It seems strange to me because my writing style has changed since I started this story and the first half of this chapter was written two years ago while other parts were written one year ago while I was severely rusty and lastly the scenes from when Sonic finds the photograph to the end of the chapter I had written today. So, I'm sorry if this chapter felt a little off or strange, but the following chapters shouldn't have this issue.<em>**


	6. Life as an Orphan

_**Phew, I'm so happy I got through this chapter. This is the longest chapter I have ever written for any story. This one broke the record. Originally chapter four for this story was the longest and chapter three for my story "In A Time of Darkness A Light Will Shine Through" was a close second. Originally two years ago, I had planned to divide segments of this long chapter into shorter individual chapters but as I thought about it I decided to make it one big chapter instead feeling it was more fitting. I also didn't want to have a bunch of chapters that revolved around the same theme. I'm excited to write the next chapter because it's the chapter I've been dying to write since I first created this story. Thank you for the recent reviews. It makes me feel good to know people are still interested in this story two years later and are looking forward to updates. :)**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Six – Life as an Orphan<strong>

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><p>Sonic looked out the car window blankly and watched the rain pummel onto the scenery outside. He had remained silent since he had left the hospital and the car was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Usually, Ms. Reeves would have tried to make light conversation to try and help make a child feel more comfortable but after learning about Sonic's history she couldn't bring herself to say anything. He looked so sad and lost at that moment and she couldn't help but feel she shouldn't try to force too much onto him all at once. She looked up at her rear view mirror to see him still staring absentmindedly out the window. She sighed.<p>

"Cold?" she asked. "I can put on the heat," she suggested, attempting at least some kind of response from him.

The little cobalt hedgehog merely shook his head as a reply. A small frown tugged at Ms. Reeves' lips. She knew that it was going to take a while for Sonic to adjust to his new lifestyle. A couple of minutes passed on by when she turned a corner and a small sign came into Sonic's view. It read _"Station Square Children's Home. Since 1962."_

His emerald eyes travelled to the front window where he could see a fairly large, two story white building coming closer into view. He could also make out a small shed next to it and parked off to the side was a school bus which he found really strange. By now the rain had finally stopped and Ms. Reeves pulled into a small driveway before coming to a complete stop. After turning off the car she turned around to glance at Sonic and gave him a soft smile.

"We're here." She told him.

He nodded in understanding as his eyes fell onto the car door. He felt his uneasiness returning to him and he hesitated before slowly opening the door. As he stepped out of the car he got a better look at the strange building in front of him. It almost looked like an ordinary house except much larger and longer in size giving off the impression of some kind of school of some sorts. He stared at the building in confusion. Was he going to be living at a school? He wondered to himself. He was so busy analyzing the strange building in front of him that he hardly noticed Ms. Reeves stop beside him holding both his suitcases.

"Come on, Sonic. Follow me," she beckoned him, walking ahead.

Despite his discomfort, he obeyed and followed albeit apprehensively. His eyes wandered in every direction, taking in his surroundings. As they walked inside he was surprised to see that inside the building it looked like a regular house instead of a school. His confused eyes quickly fell on random kids around his age and older wandering around as if it were the most natural thing in the world. What kind of place was this? Where exactly was he?

He followed Ms. Reeves to a small room that housed two beds and some bedroom furniture such as dressers to store clothing. She placed his two suitcases onto the bed to his right. "This is where you'll be staying," she told him, gesturing to the room. He looked around unsurely.

As if reading his mind she commented. "I know it's a little small…but I figured this room was the best choice for you," she stated.

"The other rooms have more roommates whereas this one you will only have one. He's a nice boy around your age so I'm sure the two of you will get along," she told him.

"Come. Let me give you the tour," she said kindly, gently taking his hand.

He followed her out of the bedroom where she led him into the living room. "We read stories here in the afternoons," she stated, before pulling him along to another room.

She showed him the kitchen followed by the cafeteria where all of the children would gather to eat. Sonic looked at the cafeteria with wide, curious eyes. This room reminded him very much of school. It looked exactly like a school cafeteria would with the array of round tables placed next to each other and the groups of chairs. He saw where he would stand in line with the other kids to get their meals and noticed the stack of trays, plastic utensils, and an assortment of food on metal trays that you would serve yourself.

After showing Sonic the rest of the house, Ms. Reeves began to give him a tour of the backyard. Since the rain had stopped and the sun started to come out, all of the kids were playing outside, ignoring the fact that it was still damp and muddy. "This is the vegetable garden," Ms. Reeves told him, gesturing to a small garden right behind the house.

She led him further into the backyard and gave his hand a supportive squeeze. "I know it's a little hard for the first couple of days…but you'll eventually get the hang of it," she said reassuringly, noticing his anxious expression and wide emerald eyes. She stopped walking and placed both of her hands on Sonic's shoulders, slowly guiding him forward.

"Kids! Come on!" she suddenly called, waving her one hand to grab all of their attention. The group of kids playing outside gathered around and Sonic began to feel extremely nervous.

"This is Sonic everybody. He's going to be staying with us for a while and I know you'll all make him feel welcome," Ms. Reeves said with a warm smile.

Sonic looked around anxiously at all of the other kids who were now staring at him. He swallowed and found his gaze drifting onto his own two shoes. When he looked back up he noticed the kids dispersing and going back to what they had been previously doing.

"Would you like to go out and play for a while? Maybe try to get to know everyone?" Ms. Reeves suggested. Sonic watched the other kids playing and wordlessly nodded.

"Alright, lunch time is in an hour. I'll call everyone inside when it's time okay?" she said, happy to see Sonic trying to adjust to his new surroundings.

"Ok," he said in a quiet voice.

He watched as Ms. Reeves headed back inside the house and turned his attention back onto the kids playing outside. He saw kids playing with Frisbees, soccer balls, and footballs and some kids chasing each other around most likely playing tag. The scene taking place seemed pretty harmless. It reminded him of the school playground when they went outside to play. He took in a deep breath of air as he started to wander around, trying to find something to do or someone to talk to. When nobody seemed to give him the time of day he found himself feeling really lonely and out of place. He felt his emerald eyes moisten as thoughts of his mother reentered his mind. He bit his lower lip, fighting to keep himself from crying and looked around some more. He saw a swing set not too far away from him and not too far up ahead was a tree house. He stopped and gawked at it in awe. He always wanted to play in a tree house. He ran over towards it, feeling a little bit more like his usual carefree self, and began to eagerly climb the stairs. When he reached the top, he quickly noticed some kids were already up there and were looking at him strangely. Ignoring them, Sonic leaned over the railing and took in the beautiful view as wind swept through his cobalt colored quills and tickled his face. Maybe staying here won't be so bad. He found himself thinking.

"Hey! New kid! What do you think you're doing up here?" A sudden voice yelled.

Sonic turned around in confusion to see the group of boys he had ignored earlier staring at him with narrowed, accusing eyes. "U-Um…I-I uh…just wanted to play up here…" he said shyly, rubbing the back of his head.

One of the boys stepped forward and smirked. "Oh really? Don't'cha know you can't play up here unless I give ya special permission?" he said in a cold, unfriendly voice.

Sonic stared at the male green hedgehog nervously and quickly shook his head. "N-No! I…uh…I didn't know!" he said quickly, hoping they would believe him.

The boys laughed at his response and the green hedgehog grabbed the front of Sonic's shirt and pulled him roughly towards him. "Listen, new kid, ya can't just come here thinking you own the place! There's a set of rules ya hav'ta follow! Got it?" he told the smaller hedgehog threateningly.

Sonic nodded quickly, feeling his stomach churn in unease. He hoped the boys would leave him alone. The larger boy began to pull him to the corner of the railing, his grip tight on Sonic's shirt. A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips as he eyed the smaller cobalt male in front of him.

"Ya know…there's something we like to do around here to the new kids who fail to follow the rules…" he sneered.

Sonic gulped nervously. The green hedgehog suddenly pushed him backwards and Sonic fell down onto a slide head first and slid all the way down to the bottom before falling into a big muddy puddle. Sonic lay motionless on his back for a moment in shock. He slowly looked up to see the group of rambunctious boys pointing and laughing at him. He looked down and examined himself to see his quills, fur, and clothes covered in cold mud. He felt hot tears sting his emerald eyes as he sat himself up. His earlier thoughts on this place not being as bad as he thought it would be quickly vanished from his mind.

"_I was wrong! This place is terrible!" _he thought to himself bitterly.

"Look! He's about to cry!" one of the boys said laughing, pointing at him.

"What a baby!" another boy chanted along.

Sonic tried hard not to cry but as he looked into the ice blue eyes of the boy who had pushed him he was finding it difficult. Why was everyone so mean to him all of the time? What was wrong with him? What was he doing wrong? He sniffed as he tried to wipe some of the mud off of himself. He squeezed his teary eyes shut as their laughter continued to fill his sensitive ears.

"Stop it!" a sudden and familiar voice said.

The laughter suddenly ceased and Sonic opened his eyes to see a little pink hedgehog glaring angrily at the boys standing in the tree house. "Scourge! You promised no more bullying!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot in frustration.

"…I wasn't bullying! It's a new game! See, we made it up," Scourge gestured to Sonic who was still sitting in the mud in a lame attempt of justifying his actions. Amy held her glare at him, obviously not convinced.

She turned her attention to Scourge's latest victim not yet noticing who he was. "Are you okay?" she started to ask but then her jade eyes widened in realization. "Sonic…?" she asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Sonic could only stare at her. He didn't know whether to feel embarrassed to be in such a sorry position or to be happy to see and be with her again. He was convinced he was never going to see her again. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he tried to think of what to say.

"I…uh…I live here now…" he said sadly with downcast eyes.

Amy's eyes widened. "Y-You do…?" she asked in mild confusion.

He nodded solemnly, refusing to meet her gaze. "Yeah…"

Amy certainly wasn't expecting this at all. Why was Sonic living here now when he had a mother? Wasn't he supposed to be going home with her today? Amy had been feeling really bad about leaving the hospital without getting to say goodbye to him. She didn't know that Ms. Reeves was going to be taking her home yesterday. She had gotten well enough to leave the hospital again and come back here. Her jade eyes fell on Sonic as he hugged his knees close to his chest and began to whimper. She noticed the silent tears rolling down his cheeks and immediately knew something was terribly wrong. She knelt down beside him and looked at him in worry.

"…Sonic?" she asked, only to receive no answer.

"Sonic, what's wrong?" she tried again but he didn't even look up at her.

Despite his lack of response, Amy began to rub his back comfortingly. Even though she was very happy to see him again, she was really upset to see him looking so sad.

"Alright, you guys! Time to come in!" Ms. Reeves called out from the back porch of the house.

Amy looked back down at Sonic. Maybe he'll feel a little better once he's had some lunch.

* * *

><p>Sonic entered the cafeteria wearing a new set of clothes. Ms. Reeves wasn't too pleased to see him covered in mud and had him go get cleaned up and changed. Now he was looking around the cafeteria anxiously trying to relocate Amy. He felt a sense of comfort in his heart knowing that she was here with him and that he didn't have to be all alone. He cautiously made his way to where the food was laid out, not wanting to bump into Scourge or his buddies again. He quickly noticed that everyone here had to take care of themselves. He was so dependent and used to his mother always taking care of him. He felt helpless and also a tad bit clueless too. He timidly reached for a tray and began picking out what he wanted to eat. He grabbed an apple, biscuit, a small cup of milk, and a slice of cheese pizza. This really felt like he was eating in the school cafeteria and he couldn't seem to wrap his head around it. It just felt so odd to him.<p>

"Outta my way, new kid!" Scourge said, shoving Sonic to the side to grab something from one of the assorted trays. He pushed Sonic so hard that he almost dropped his tray of food. He glared at the meaner, bigger hedgehog beside him.

"Scourge!" Ms. Reeves called, catching him in the act.

The green hedgehog flinched slightly and turned to face Ms. Reeves who was now standing behind him. "You know better than that," she told him sternly.

The older boy merely rolled his ice blue eyes and walked off to take a seat with his friends at one of the tables. Ms. Reeves shook her head and turned her attention to the cobalt hedgehog who was staring down sadly at his tray of food. She sighed as she placed the hot crock pot of chili she had been carrying down on the table.

"Don't pay any attention to Scourge," she told him. "He just acts out for the attention."

Sonic nodded in understanding and looked back up to examine the room once more. His emerald orbs lit up when he caught sight of Amy eating by herself at one of the tables. Ms. Reeves turned to see where he was looking and smiled.

"Don't be afraid to talk to her, Sonic. Amy's really nice," she told him, unaware that they were already acquainted.

A faint smile spread across Sonic's lips. "Ok," he muttered softly as he walked off to sit with her.

Ms. Reeves stood and watched, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. If anything, she felt Amy was the perfect person to help Sonic cope with the new changes in his life and help him feel more at home here.

"Hey, Amy," Sonic said somewhat shyly as he approached her table.

"Hey, Sonic!" she replied happily with a bright smile. "Come sit with me!"

Sonic sat down next to her and found her smile to be contagious. For the first time that day he finally smiled, even though it was small, it was still a smile nonetheless. He looked down at his tray of food and quickly realized just how hungry he was feeling. He picked up his slice of pizza and took a large bite. Amy giggled sweetly as she watched him and he felt his cheeks heat up.

"This feels weird…" Sonic commented as he glanced around the cafeteria.

Amy looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I feel like I'm eating at school," he told her. "Is it always like this?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Even during Christmas?" he asked her.

She giggled and nodded again. "Yup. How else are we supposed to eat?" she asked him playfully.

"I dunno…" he said, still feeling pretty confused.

Amy noticed the sad expression forming on his face again. "…What's wrong?" she asked him.

A loose tear slipped down his cheek against his will and he wiped it away quickly. "…I just miss mommy…that's all…" he said in a low voice, trying to fight back tears. He missed the way his mother would make him lunches. He missed the little notes she would write on his napkins saying things such as _"I love you!" _or _"Have a nice day!" _with little smiley faces. He just realized now that he'll never get a note on his napkins from her again. He choked back a sob as he tried to drown his sorrows with food, taking a large bite out of his biscuit. Amy watched him in worry. She knew something was really wrong but was afraid to say anything that would make him feel more upset. They continued to eat together in silence for a couple of minutes as Sonic composed himself. He had been crying all day and felt tired and sick. His eyes were sore and he couldn't get rid of the headache he's had since that morning. He sighed. He didn't want to think about anything anymore, at least not at this moment, and tried to distract himself with something else.

Sonic turned his attention back on Amy to see her eating a salad with an assortment of vegetables. "Ew," he muttered in disgust. "Icky stuff," he said childishly.

"It is not icky!" Amy protested.

"Is too!" Sonic argued, pointing at a piece of broccoli and making a face.

"Is not!" Amy exclaimed, eating another broccoli just to spite him.

"Yes, it is!" he continued. "How can ya eat that stuff?"

"I always eat it!" she cried, honestly.

Sonic looked at her face and for the first time that day he laughed. He couldn't help it. She looked so funny when she was angry at him. Her cheeks were puffed out and she pouted as she stabbed her plastic fork into the innocent vegetables and lettuce. He held his hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle his chuckles.

"It's not funny!" Amy said, feeling her cheeks flush.

Sonic finally calmed himself down and grinned at her. He held up his half eaten slice of pizza to her. "Want some?" he asked her.

She looked at him with wide jade eyes. "But…you already bit out of it!" she told him, pointing at the slice.

"So?" he asked her, not sure why it was such a big deal.

Amy stared at the cheesy pizza unsurely. "I…dunno…I'm not really allowed to eat that kind of stuff…" she admitted.

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Amy didn't answer as she continued to stare at the slice debating whether or not she should. She gingerly took the slice from his hand. "Ok…" she said shyly. "But, you gotta eat a piece of broccoli then!" she said, stabbing a piece of broccoli with her fork and handing it to him.

He grimaced as he stared at the offending vegetable. "Gross! No way!" he exclaimed.

"I won't eat the pizza if you won't eat the broccoli!" she told him stubbornly.

He groaned, giving in, and took the fork from her. "Fine…" he grumbled.

She smiled at him victoriously. "Let's eat them at the same time," she suggested.

"Ok, I'll count." Sonic said as he readied the fork.

Amy brought the cheese pizza up to her face and stared at it apprehensively.

"Ok, ready? One…Two…Three!" he said as they both went to bite into each other's food at the same time. Their facial expressions were quite humorous to any onlooker. Amy's face was one of delight as she enjoyed the taste of Sonic's pizza whereas Sonic had a look of disgust and was having a rather difficult time chewing and swallowing.

Sonic quickly drank his milk to rid himself of the after taste from the broccoli while Amy merely giggled at his actions, taking additional bites of his cheese pizza.

He smiled at her. "See, it's good! Much better than icky broccoli!" he told her, making her laugh.

She couldn't argue with him this time because now she agreed with him. The pizza really did taste yummy. The two little hedgehogs giggled at each other once more as they resumed eating their lunches. Sonic took a bite out of his red apple and stared at Amy thoughtfully.

"How come you didn't tell me you were leaving?" he asked her curiously. The truth was, he felt a little hurt and disappointed when she didn't show up or say goodbye to him and he was feeling really sad earlier, fearing he would never even get the chance to talk to her or see her again.

Amy frowned. "I'm sorry…" she said apologetically. "I didn't know I was leaving…and I couldn't get a chance to see you…" she told him honestly.

"It's okay," he said with a small smile. "We made a promise to each other didn't we?" he said.

Amy smiled and nodded, remembering their pinky promise from the other night. There was another moment of silence before Sonic spoke again.

"…Where's your mommy and daddy?" he suddenly asked.

Sonic couldn't help but notice there were no other adults at this strange place aside from Ms. Reeves. Where were all of the other kids' parents? Amy's smile faded and was replaced with a deep frown. She looked down at her tray of food sadly.

"…I don't have a mommy and daddy…" she said quietly.

Sonic's eyes widened and he looked at her in surprise. "…You don't?" he asked her, not fully understanding.

Amy shook her head. "Nope…"

Sonic watched her pushing her food around with her fork. He didn't like to see her looking so sad. He opened his mouth to say something when he was suddenly hit in the head with a pea. He looked up in confusion to see Scourge snickering from his table that was across from him. Sonic narrowed his eyes and tried to ignore him.

"…Are you feeling better now?" Amy suddenly asked him.

Sonic blinked and thought for a moment. "A little…" he said in a low voice.

A faint smile returned on Amy's face and she let out a sigh of relief. "That's good…I was really worried." she admitted.

Truthfully, Sonic was still feeling extremely depressed and lost inside but he didn't want Amy to know it. She did make him feel a little better and a little less afraid but the thoughts of his mother continued to plague the back of his mind. He really wanted to be with her. He missed her so much that it hurt. His gaze fell back on Amy who was now drinking her water. She was staring back at him with her piercing jade green eyes and Sonic felt himself almost getting lost in them. Across from the two little hedgehogs at another table sat Scourge who was placing another pea into his plastic spoon, aiming it and getting ready to shoot it at Sonic. When he launched it, it flew high into the air and hit Sonic on the top of his head for a second time. Sonic looked up and glared at Scourge for the second time as he broke into hysterics with his friend snickering beside him. This time though, the green hedgehog's laughter was short lived as he noticed the pink hedgehog staring at him angrily.

"Scourge, cut it out!" she exclaimed.

"What? I didn't do anything," Scourge said, feigning innocence.

"Yes, you did!" Amy cried, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well…he started it!" Scourge accused, pointing his finger at Sonic.

Sonic just sat in his seat with a deep frown as his ears drooped. He didn't want to stay here with all these mean kids. He just wanted to go back home with his mother. Why did things have to be this way?

* * *

><p>Sonic sat on his new bed feeling anxious and tired. It was nine o'clock at night and Ms. Reeves was getting everyone ready for bed. He had already washed up and brushed his teeth and now he was trying to make himself comfortable in his new room. He glanced at the small bed across from him apprehensively. He still didn't know who his roommate was. He was really hoping it wasn't Scourge or another mean boy. Ms. Reeves did tell him his roommate was nice though so maybe he shouldn't be so worried. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he slowly laid down on his small bed. After a few minutes of silence his ears perked up as he heard someone entering the room. He opened one eye curiously to see an orange fox with two tails walking over towards the second bed. The fox glanced in his direction and his cerulean eyes widened in mild surprise.<p>

"Oh, sorry! I didn't know anyone was here," the fox said.

Sonic remained quiet as he slowly sat himself up. He wasn't sure whether or not this boy was going to be nice to him or not. When the fox got no response from the little cobalt hedgehog he began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"…I didn't wake you…did I?" he asked unsurely.

Sonic shook his head. "No," he replied.

This seemed to ease Sonic's roommate a bit as he began to relax.

"You must be the new kid," he said, walking closer to Sonic's bed.

Sonic began to feel uneasy. Was this kid going to try and bully or hurt him? He didn't know who to trust anymore. The only person he found he was able to trust was Amy. The fox held his hand out and Sonic found himself staring in confusion.

"I'm Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails. What's your name?" the fox asked in a friendly tone.

Sonic relaxed a bit, feeling a little more comfortable. "…It's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog," he told him quietly, shaking his hand.

"That's a weird name," Tails said bluntly.

He immediately regretted his words when he saw Sonic's small smile fall into a straight line. "Uh, I mean, it's different, that's all…I never heard of anyone else with that kind of name before," he told him quickly.

Sonic nodded quietly. An awkward silence then filled the room as the two boys stared at one another. Tails was hoping he didn't get on the new kid's bad side. He wasn't really sure what kind of personality he had and he hadn't meant to make him feel bad.

"So…uh…when did you get here?" Tails asked, trying to make conversation.

"Earlier today…" Sonic said sadly, his eyes downcast.

"Oh…" Tails said in a low voice.

He noticed how sad Sonic looked and tried to find a way to cheer him up. "Don't worry, it's not so bad here," Tails said optimistically.

Sonic felt his eyes welling up with fresh tears. "But, I don't wanna stay here! I wanna be with my mommy!" he cried, wiping at his emerald eyes furiously.

Tails was taken aback by the little hedgehog's sudden outburst. He stared wide eyed at the little hedgehog who was trying to suppress his tears.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset!" Tails said quickly, trying to get his new roommate to calm down.

Sonic sniffled and laid back down on the bed. He turned his back to Tails and hugged his blankets tightly. He didn't want to talk anymore. He just wanted to be left alone. Maybe if he hoped hard enough, he'll wake up to find this was all nothing but a terrible nightmare. He'll wake up tomorrow back in the hospital with his mother sitting by his bed rubbing the back of his head. She'd smile at him and tell him that everything was alright, that she loved him, and then she would take him to their new home, just the two of them. Tails stood still watching Sonic trembling in his bed. He realized now that something really bad must have happened to him. The room was silent for a couple of minutes until Tails decided to speak.

"I never got to know my mommy…" he said solemnly.

Sonic's whimpers quieted down for a moment as he heard his roommates' words.

"She and daddy both died before I could remember them," he confided.

Sonic wiped his tears from his eyes and slowly turned around. He looked up at Tails in wonder.

Tails continued. "Sometimes, I think I see them when I go to sleep and it makes me feel a little better," he told him.

"Really?" Sonic asked in a whisper.

Tails nodded. "I don't know what happened…but, at least you can remember _your_ mommy," Tails said as he walked back over to his own bed.

Sonic laid there in deep thought. He never really thought about things like that. He had been so consumed by his despair that he felt like his very oxygen had been taken away from him. He couldn't imagine what it would be like not to remember his mother. He cherished every moment they had spent together like it was a precious treasure. His mind then went back to what Amy had said to him earlier at lunch. She told him that she didn't have a mother or father either. She looked so sad and lonely when she conveyed this truth to him.

Sonic looked back over at Tails who had crawled into his own bed. "I'm sorry…" he found himself whispering.

Tails smiled at him. "It's okay," he said, happy to see the cobalt hedgehog had stopped his crying.

There was a brief pause before Sonic spoke again. "…Do you wanna be friends?" he asked the fox.

Tails' cerulean eyes brightened and a large smile spread across his face. He didn't really have any friends. "Yeah," he whispered back, beaming with joy.

Sonic smiled too. He leaned over his bed and began rummaging through one of his suitcases. After a brief moment he found what he had been looking for and pulled it out. It was the photo of him and his mother. He hugged it close to his chest and laid back down in his bed. He stared at the photo for a couple of minutes in silence. He thought a lot about what Tails had said. Instead of crying and feeling sad, he should try to remember all of the wonderful times he had spent with his mother and cherish them. He remembered what Nurse Sophie had told him. His mother was always with him and she was always in his heart. Thinking about things this way put his heart at ease. Even though he still felt heartbroken and a little scared, knowing his mother was always with him in spirit made him feel a little bit better.

Ms. Reeves walked up to the bedroom door from the hallway. "Lights out you two," she said, flipping the light switch. "It's time to go to sleep," she told them.

Both boys nodded while snuggling into their blankets. Ms. Reeves smiled sweetly and quietly walked down the hallway to check on the other children. Sonic stared out the window looking at the full moon as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He wondered if his mother was up there watching him. He quietly placed his mother's picture on his night stand, using his lamp to prop the picture up. He snuggled back into his blankets and stared at her smiling image through the darkness.

"Goodnight momma, I love you," he whispered before closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>Sonic smiled as Amy's bubbly laughter continued to fill his ears.<p>

"Higher, Sonic!" she told him through her giggles.

They were currently playing on the swings. Sonic was standing behind her, pushing her higher while Tails sat beside her in his own swing. Amy and Tails were trying to outdo one another, seeing who can go the highest.

"I'm beating you, Tails!" she exclaimed with excitement.

"Only because Sonic's helping you!" he told her, pumping his legs harder to make himself go higher.

Sonic couldn't suppress his laughter as he continued to watch them banter back and forth. Two weeks have passed since he had arrived at Station Square Children's Home and he was in much better spirits than he had been when he first arrived there. Sure, he still had his moments, mostly when he was alone in his bed at night where he would silently cry and miss his mother, but thanks to his friends Amy and Tails he was coping. In some strange ways, there were moments where he even felt happier. Before everything happened he didn't even have any friends. Now he had not only one, but two friends who made him feel wanted and happy. His father was no longer around to torment him anymore and he was beginning to feel like a regular kid. Sonic and Amy were back in school again and Sonic was delighted to find that Amy was in his class. Tails also went to the same school, as did most of the other children there at the home, but they weren't in his class. Sonic did get to see Tails during lunch and on the playground though. They continued playing not noticing Ms. Reeves approaching them.

"Amy!" she called, grabbing all of their attention.

Sonic caught a hold of Amy's swing, slowing it down and helped her come to a full stop. Ms. Reeves walked over to the little pink hedgehog with an excited smile.

"Amy, I have wonderful news!" she told her.

Amy's jade green orbs lit up with hope. "You do?" she asked.

Ms. Reeves nodded. "There's a family here that wants to see you," she said with a broad smile.

Sonic exchanged a confused look with Tails whose expression told him that he knew exactly what the two were talking about.

"Really?" Amy beamed, having difficulty containing her excitement.

Ms. Reeves nodded and held out her hand for Amy to take. Sonic and Tails watched silently as the two of them began walking off into the direction of the house. Amy turned around with a big smile and waved.

"Bye guys! I'll see you later!" she told them cheerfully.

Sonic stood and watched them disappear into the house in confusion. "Where is she taking Amy?" Sonic asked as he took a seat on the swing Amy had occupied earlier.

"Amy has an adoption interview," Tails said casually.

"What's that?" Sonic asked feeling even more confused.

"You're even dumber than you look new kid!" Scourge said from behind.

Sonic and Tails looked behind them to see Scourge leaning against the pole of the swing set.

"Nobody asked _you_ Scourge!" Tails said with narrowed eyes.

Scourge merely laughed and ignored the two tailed fox. He walked closer to Sonic, his ice blue eyes piercing into his emerald orbs. "It's where adults go kid shoppin'," he told him.

Sonic furrowed his brows in confusion, still not really understanding.

"Except, they only pick the cute ones while the rest of us are left here to rot," he continued.

Sonic didn't really like the sound of that.

"It's not like that!" Tails interjected. "It's where grown-ups come and take you home if they like you and they become your new mommy and daddy!" Tails stated.

Sonic's face suddenly paled as he understood the conversation more. He didn't want another family. He definitely didn't want another mother either. Nobody in the entire world could ever take his mother's place and he didn't want to give anyone the chance. He _especially_ didn't want another father. That was the last thing he would ever want.

"I don't want another family!" Sonic shouted stubbornly, crossing his arms.

"Who said anything about _you_, blue boy?" Scourge said coldly. "Amy's the one with the ticket outta here."

"W-Will I still get to see Amy?" Sonic asked Scourge worriedly.

Scourge smirked mischievously and shook his head. "Nope! Goodbye Rosie!" he teased.

Sonic frowned and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Don't listen to him Sonic! You still get to see Amy at school," Tails said, trying to ease Sonic's mind.

"Not if they move away or put Amy in a different school," Scourge argued, purposely trying to make the cobalt hedgehog upset.

Sonic didn't want to hear anymore. He didn't want Amy to leave him. She couldn't! They promised each other!

"I can't let that happen!" Sonic yelled as he jumped up from the swing and started running towards the house.

"Sonic, wait!" Tails shouted, getting up to follow him.

Scourge took a moment to laugh at the two of them. They were acting pathetic! All for a girl nonetheless! A smug smile formed on his lips as he started to trail after them. "This outta be good," he said, holding back another laugh. The three of them caught up with one another and began sneaking around the windows of the house, trying to find the room Amy was in.

"They do the interviews in that room over there!" Scourge said, pointing to the window on the far left.

"How would you know? You've never _had_ an interview!" Tails retorted.

Scourge narrowed his eyes at him. "Shut up fox boy!"

Sonic ignored the two of them and made his way over to the window. The three of them poked their heads up in the window at the same time to see Amy sitting on a couch next to a red and white hedgehog couple. Sonic frowned feeling worried when he saw how happy Amy looked as she talked to them. She was giggling and the hedgehog couple was smiling at her looking too happy for Sonic's comfort.

"I don't want Amy to leave!" Sonic said in worry.

"But Sonic, there's nothing you can do if they want her," Tails tried to tell him.

"There's gotta be something I can do!" Sonic said as he peered into the window.

"Fox boy's right for once, it looks like its game over," Scourge agreed, not helping the situation one bit.

Sonic actually felt tears forming in his emerald eyes. Amy was his best friend. He didn't want her to leave him. He already lost his mother; he didn't want to lose his good friend too. Why did everyone he cares about leave him? It just wasn't fair! The three boys grew quiet as they watched Ms. Reeves and the hedgehog couple get up from the couch. Ms. Reeves glanced at Amy and told her something that they couldn't hear and left the room. Amy clasped her hands in her lap with her legs swinging back and forth in excitement. Now that she was alone, Sonic wanted to talk to her. He hastily knocked on the window, grabbing her attention. Her jade orbs lit up when she saw him and an excited smile formed on her muzzle. She got up from the couch and ran out of the room to go meet him. Sonic did the same, completely forgetting about Tails and Scourge.

As he ran to the veranda Amy suddenly came into view. "Sonic! I have something I wanna tell you!" she exclaimed happily, running up to him.

She waited a moment to catch her breath before continuing. "I think I might get a new mommy and daddy!" she told him giddily.

Sonic just merely stared at her not knowing what to really say. "…That's great, Amy!" he said with a forced grin.

"I know! I'm so happy!" she said, practically jumping up and down in her excitement.

"I never thought this would ever happen!" she told him honestly.

Sonic couldn't hold back his frown and his gaze fell to his sneakers. Amy stopped bouncing around when she noticed his sudden change in demeanor.

"…What's wrong?" she asked him, her smile slowly fading away.

Sonic shook his head. "It's nothing…" he said in a low voice.

"Liar," she said, knowing full well something was bothering him.

Sonic felt his cheeks heat up and he rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "It's just that…I-I don't want ya to go…" he told her honestly.

Amy's eyes widened in surprise. "But, why?" she asked him.

"Because…if you leave we can't be friends anymore," he said sadly.

"Yes we can!" she assured him. "We still have school together and I'm sure you can come over my new house and play!" she said with a smile.

"Really?" Sonic asked, beginning to feel a little better.

Amy nodded. "We pinky promised remember? We'll be friends forever!" she said, suddenly pulling him into a big hug.

Sonic felt his cheeks burning but couldn't hold back his smile. Just as long as he and Amy could remain friends and see each other he would be happy. Tails and Scourge put quite a bit of fear into him but after talking to her he felt more at ease. She was always easy to talk to and it didn't take much for her to make him feel better.

"Amy, I'm glad we're friends," Sonic said with a soft smile.

Amy giggled and pulled away from the embrace. "Me too," she said.

"Amy, I need to talk with you," Ms. Reeves' voice called from behind them.

They both turned around to see her standing on the porch. Her lips were in a straight line and she didn't look as joyous as she had been only a little while ago. Neither of the little hedgehogs seemed to notice.

"Ok," Amy said with a smile.

She waved goodbye to Sonic who happily returned the wave and headed back inside the house. A half an hour later, Sonic was sitting at a small round table coloring in a coloring book. He decided to make Amy a picture and give it to her as a present. He was feeling a little sad that she would no longer be living with him but at least they can still see each other and play. His ears perked up as he heard Ms. Reeves' office door open and he looked up to see Ms. Reeves and Amy stepping out of the room. He immediately smiled but it faded quickly when he noticed the sad expression on Amy's face. She looked as though she was holding back her tears and her lower lip was quivering. Her moist jade eyes fell on Sonic who was sitting across from where she was standing and she found herself unable to hold back her tears any longer. Before Sonic could say anything she ran away holding her hands over her face. Sonic watched her retreating form in utter confusion and promptly got up from his seat and ran after her. He followed Amy to her room which was larger than his own and housed five separate beds. He entered her room quietly, his emerald eyes finding her lying down on her bed with her face buried in her pillow.

"…Amy, what's wrong?" he asked as he slowly approached her.

She didn't answer him and continued sobbing into her pillow. Her body was trembling and she let out a whimper as she choked back a sob. Sonic sat on the end of her bed beginning to feel worried.

"Why are you crying?" he asked her again, hoping she would talk to him.

"Nobody wants me…" she replied softly, crying into her pillow.

Sonic looked at her in confusion. Why would she say something like that? He scooted himself closer to her wanting to make her feel better. He knew what she thought was wrong. He and Tails cared about her and what about her new mother and father?

"That's not true," he said, trying to console her.

"Yes, it is!" she cried, hugging her blankets tightly.

"What about your new mommy and daddy?" he asked her.

Sonic immediately regretted his words when she started crying even more.

"W-Wait, Amy! I'm sorry!" he said quickly, not sure what to do.

After a while her sobs quieted down to small hiccups and she finally turned away from her pillow to look at him. "They don't want me anymore…" she said in a soft whisper, wiping tears from her eyes hurriedly.

Sonic looked at her in surprise. "Why not?" he asked.

"…Because I always get sick," she told him in a sad, quiet voice.

He didn't quite understand what she meant by that. She didn't seem sick to him. Whenever they were together she always seemed completely fine. Despite his lack of understanding, he didn't like seeing his friend looking so sad and he desperately wanted to make her feel better. He started to rub her back and tried to give her a comforting smile.

"Well, I care about ya…and Tails too!" he said, his cheeks flushing.

Amy smiled weakly. "I know…but it's not the same as having a family…" she admitted.

There was a moment of silence before Amy spoke again. "…What's it like to have a mommy?" she asked Sonic, looking up into his emerald eyes.

Sonic was taken aback and unsure how to answer her. His mind wandered onto his mother and all of the beloved memories he shared with her. He missed her terribly. He loved her so much. He felt his eyes moisten against his will and he averted his eyes to the bed sheets.

"…Having a mommy…is the best thing in the world," he told her softly.

"What was your mommy like?" Amy asked in wonder.

She had no idea what having parents were like. That didn't stop her from trying to imagine it though. Sonic swallowed thickly and paused for a moment, trying to think of what to say.

"My momma was the nicest person in the whole wide world," he told her.

"She always gave me kisses and hugs and she would tell me she loved me every day…" A loose tear slipped down his cheek and he wiped it away hurriedly.

"She would play games with me and even color pictures with me! And she always made me my favorite lunch," he told her, rubbing his stomach in memory.

Amy smiled softly as she tried to imagine everything he was telling her.

"We used to bake cookies all of the time…and when we were done she always let me lick the bowl…" he said with a faint smile. For some strange reason, even though he was feeling sad, talking about his mother made him feel a little better.

"Momma always read me bed time stories…and if I was scared she would always stay with me until I fell asleep," he told her.

"Your mommy sounds really nice," Amy said, clasping Sonic's hand gently.

"She was," Sonic said with a small smile.

Amy looked up at Sonic thoughtfully. "What's your daddy like?" she suddenly asked.

Sonic's smile immediately evaporated from his face. He frowned and rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. He didn't want to tell Amy anything about his father. He didn't even want to think about him ever again.

"U-Um…I…I didn't know daddy very much…" he said lamely, averting his eyes elsewhere.

Amy looked at him in confusion. "Why not," she asked.

"I just didn't," Sonic said quickly, wanting to change the subject.

He looked back at Amy and gave her hand a supportive squeeze. "I don't want ya to feel sad, Amy," he told her.

"You might not have a mommy and daddy…but, you'll always have me," he told her bashfully.

Amy smiled and pulled Sonic into a big hug. He was always able to make her feel better and most importantly, loved.

"Thank you Sonic," she said, squeezing him tightly.

He felt his cheeks heating up, something that seemed to always happen only around Amy. They slowly pulled away from each other and giggled.

"Do you feel better now?" Sonic asked.

Amy nodded and Sonic helped her up from bed.

"I made you a picture, do you wanna see?" he asked, still holding her hand.

Amy smiled and nodded. "Yeah!" she said, sounding more like her usual self again.

He smiled and began leading her out of the room. Amy looked up adoringly at him. She was so happy that Sonic was her friend. She was so lonely before she met him. She knew that as long as she and Sonic were together, she would always be happy.

* * *

><p>Sonic sat angrily in the main office of his elementary school. His arms were crossed and he was staring at the floor in deep thought. It's all those mean older boys' fault he was in trouble right now. All he was doing was protecting Amy. He grumbled and clenched his teeth at the memory.<p>

"_What's wrong little girl, don'tcha got any parents?" one boy sneered._

"_You shouldn't even be here, little orphan girl!" an even bigger kid chimed in._

"_Leave me alone!" Amy cried with teary jade eyes, hugging her bear Franklin close to her chest._

"_No, maybe we don't want to!" the big kid, a purple echidna, said with a smirk._

"_Parent's Day is for kids with parents! You shouldn't even be here!" he told her coldly._

_He shoved Amy roughly, almost making her fall over. The other two boys standing beside him started to laugh. Amy had been standing off to the side under a willow tree watching the other kids doing events with their parents. Even though she had no parents of her own, she still had to go to school, so all she could do was watch._

"_Stop it!" she cried, wanting them to leave her alone._

"_No!" the echidna continued, shoving her a second time._

_This time he shoved her so hard she fell backwards onto the grass. She looked up at the boys with hurt in her eyes. They were only just getting started though. The echidna grabbed her bear Franklin right out of her arms before she could react._

"_What's with the stupid bear?" he sneered. "He looks like a rag!" he continued, chuckling as he held the bear by its arm._

_Amy's eyes widened and she tried to grab Franklin. "Give him back!" she cried, tears rolling down her rosy cheeks._

_The boy continued to dangle the bear in front of her and lifted it up higher when she tried to reach it. "Give him back!" she cried again, desperately trying to save her teddy bear from the mean boy._

_He tossed the bear to his friends and the three of them began to throw the stuffed bear to one another whenever the pink hedgehog got close to them._

"_Leave Franklin alone!" she exclaimed, trying to save her stuffed friend. Before Sonic came along, Franklin was her only companion and source of comfort._

_The mean boys only laughed at her futile attempts of getting her bear. She managed to grab onto his leg and held on for dear life. The boys refused to let her have the bear though and began trying to pull him away from her._

"_Let go of him!" Amy shouted angrily._

"_No!" the three boys yelled in unison._

_They continued their game of tug of war until a loud rip filled everyone's ears. Amy fell backwards onto the grass and in her horror saw Franklin had been ripped in two. The three boys were silent for a moment as they stared dumbfounded at the torn stuffed animal. Amy's eyes filled with tears as she stared dismally at what remained of her friend._

"_FRANKLIN!" she started to cry._

_She covered her face in her hands and began to weep in despair. The bear was torn from its midsection and was beyond repair._

"_No! Franklin!" she sobbed._

_The three boys shook themselves from their temporary shock and began snickering at her trembling form._

"_Stupid bear, it's not our fault he was a piece of trash," the echidna said coldly._

_Amy was too heartbroken to listen to them anymore. She's had Franklin ever since she was a baby and she had taken him everywhere she went. There were times where she would be at the hospital in a really bad state feeling scared and Franklin was always there to comfort her. Now he couldn't be with her anymore. Neither Amy nor the three boys were aware of the little cobalt hedgehog who had witnessed the whole scene. He was standing a few feet away from them with clenched fists._

"_Leave Amy alone!" Sonic shouted angrily._

_The three boys looked up in surprise at the sudden voice. The purple echidna smirked at the little boy attempting to stand up to him._

"_What ya gonna do about it, ya little runt? Tell on me? Oh, I'm so scared!" he taunted, laughing._

_His friends started to laugh along with him. Sonic had never felt such a fury before in his entire young life. Usually, he would be afraid to be put in such a situation, one that seemed all too familiar to him, but at the moment all he could feel was pure anger. Nobody messed with Amy and got away with it. He tossed the candies he had left Amy briefly for onto the grass and approached the bullies fearlessly. Amy lifted her face up from her hands to see Sonic approaching them. She had never seen Sonic looking so angry before. The purple echidna stepped forward so he and Sonic were face to face. He smirked at him finding his bravery hilarious. He could easily hurt this little boy. He was such a little weakling._

"_Uh, oh, looks like you made him mad!" one of his friends said through a laugh._

_Sonic gritted his teeth. "Leave Amy alone," he repeated in a warning tone._

"_What if we don't want to, tough guy, what are you gonna do about it?" the echidna taunted, shoving Sonic roughly._

_Sonic's eyes became fierce as he stared at the echidna angrily. His adrenaline began to pump through his veins and all he thought about was getting these boys away from him and Amy. He shoved the echidna back with as much force as he could muster._

"_Go away! Or I'll make you!" Sonic said, feeling his anger steadily growing._

_The echidna scowled at the little hedgehog. "You're gonna regret doing that!" he said in a dark tone._

"_I'm not afraid of you!" Sonic said bravely._

"_Hey, wait a minute, I've seen you on T.V!" one of the boys said pointing at Sonic._

"_You're a little orphan too!" he continued._

_The purple echidna smiled viciously. "That means you're just like her then!" he said, pointing at Amy. "You don't belong here either!"_

_Sonic ignored their words, not fully comprehending all of it and stood his ground. He narrowed his emerald eyes and glared daggers at the purple echidna._

"_That's right. You don't have any parents. Your parents are dead!" the echidna said coldly._

_Sonic was taken aback by his latest comment and hurt suddenly filled his eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it came though, when he was suddenly filled with rage. He raised his little fist up and before anybody could react he punched the mean echidna right in the nose. The echidna fell backwards onto the grass holding his now bleeding nose in pain. His friends stepped back looking down at their friend in pure shock. Sonic was unable to control his raging emotions however and got himself on top of the echidna continuing his attack. Amy's eyes widened fearfully as she watched her best friend beating the mean boy up._

"_Sonic, stop it!" she cried, trying to get him to stop._

_Tears filled Sonic's eyes as he continued hitting the helpless boy beneath him who was now crying himself. The echidna's friends watched in horror before running away to go get help._

"_Stop it!" the echidna cried, trying to keep from being hit._

"_Please, leave me alone!" he whimpered as he tried to push the little hedgehog away from him._

_Sonic continued hitting him completely blinded by his own rage. "You didn't leave Amy alone when she asked you to!" he exclaimed, continuing his assault._

"_You're nothing but a big bully!" Sonic yelled, beginning to slam the echidna onto the ground repeatedly._

_The echidna was terrified and sobbing as Sonic continued to go wild on him. Amy struggled to stand up wanting to stop Sonic from hurting the boy. Tears filled her jade colored eyes. She's never seen Sonic like this before and it honestly scared her._

"_No more!" she cried helplessly, hoping he'd listen._

_Her words didn't have much effect on the cobalt hedgehog though as he continued slamming the crying echidna into the ground. By now the two boys had attracted a lot of attention from other students, parents, and teachers. Sonic's teacher, Mrs. Kennedy, ran over to them horrified and tried to stop their violent behavior. She grabbed ahold of Sonic and began trying to pry him away from the other boy. Sonic continued to swing his fists even when being pulled away. Mrs. Kennedy began to shake him roughly._

"_Sonic!" she yelled, trying to get him to stop._

"_Sonic, that's enough!" she told him sternly, shaking him harder._

_Sonic finally turned his attention away from the bully and onto his teacher and his hands dropped to his sides. Almost instantly his rage disappeared and was replaced with hurt. Tears threatened his emerald eyes as he hugged his teacher, desperate for some form of comfort. She held him tightly, looking down at him wide eyed. She knew what this boy has gone through and could understand his violent outbursts but this was too much. She slowly stood up, taking hold of Sonic's hand and began leading him away from the scene towards the principal's office._

Sonic frowned as he recounted the memory. He didn't know what came over him. He was just so angry he couldn't control himself. He was already angry they were hurting Amy but the moment they mentioned his parents he just snapped. Now he was starting to feel guilty over what he had done. He never in his life did something so bad before.

"Sonic Hedgehog," a familiar voice called.

Sonic looked up to see his principal Mr. Watson waiting for him in the hallway. He slowly rose from his seat and hesitantly made his way over to his principal. The bear led him through the hallway and into his office. Sonic took a seat in one of the chairs and crossed his arms. He refused to look at his principal and stared out the window. He was still angry. He was also angry with his principal. He lost his mother because of the very conversation they had in this same room. He vowed to never tell anyone anything again. He couldn't trust anyone except Amy and Tails. Mr. Watson frowned as he stared at the moody hedgehog slumping in his seat. He felt incredibly guilty over the turn of events that had taken place since that day he spoke with Sonic and his mother. He never would have imagined things would have turned out the way they did. If he had known…if only he had known, he would have done so many things differently. He didn't blame Sonic for his anger but his anger also worried him a bit. He didn't want Sonic to grow up having anger and trust issues nor did he want him to have the same violent tendencies as his father. He was his son after all…that alone was enough to make anyone worry.

"Sonic, do you know why you're here?" he asked him.

Sonic refused to say a word or even glance at his principal. He continued to stare out the window instead.

Mr. Watson sighed. "I know you're angry Sonic and I don't blame you one bit," he told him. "But you can't just go around hitting other students, you know that," he said.

The room fell silent as Sonic refused to say anything in his defense. He just wanted to go back home or what he thought was now his home. Mr. Watson began fiddling around with his blue pen, trying to think of ways to get Sonic to speak to him. He didn't want to punish Sonic for his actions, having a strong feeling there was more to the story then met the eye.

"Can you tell me what happened out there?" he asked him, hoping he'd comply and explain the situation.

When he still received no answer he sighed again. "Sonic, if you don't tell me what happened…I can't help you," he said.

Sonic finally turned his attention to his principal. The last time Sonic told him what was happening in his life he had made everything worse. He made him lose his mother.

"I don't wanna tell you anything…" he said, his emerald eyes beginning to moisten.

Mr. Watson frowned. He could understand perfectly why Sonic had no interest in telling him anything ever again. Just as he had suspected, the little boy now had trust issues. Even if it wasn't him and somebody else, he wouldn't confide in them and tell them anything.

"I understand how you feel Sonic…I want you to know how sorry I truly am about everything…" he told the little hedgehog. "I never wanted things to turn out the way they did."

Sonic's expression softened the tiniest bit as he took his principals words in.

"Sonic, I know you're a good kid. You always were and I know there's more to what happened today. Please, tell me what happened. I don't want to have to punish you for something that may not have been your fault," Mr. Watson said.

Sonic looked thoughtful for a moment but still said nothing. Mr. Watson sighed, feeling defeated. Sonic wasn't going to tell him anything.

"Alright Sonic, I'll give Ms. Reeves a call and tell her to come pick you up," he said.

Sonic's ears perked up and he looked at Mr. Watson in confusion.

As if reading Sonic's thoughts he said, "I'm not going to try and force you to tell me if you don't want to."

Mr. Watson decided he should back off. Sonic was still obviously angry and needed time to cool down. He'll have to try and decide Sonic's punishment later. He decided to wait to hear the other boys' stories, Mrs. Kennedy's, and any other witnesses who may help him piece the puzzle together. He knew deep down that Sonic wasn't a bad kid. He was always playful, outgoing and adventurous, and somewhat shy at times. He knew he must have been provoked to do such a thing but he needed answers and if Sonic wasn't going to tell him, he'll have to try and find them elsewhere. He didn't want to punish Sonic if he was innocent so he was going to give Sonic an extra day to find out what exactly happened. He grabbed a paper cup and poured it with some cold water and handed it to Sonic.

"This will help you feel better," he told him.

Sonic looked apprehensive at first before gulping the water down. After he finished drinking his cup of water, Mr. Watson escorted him out of his office and back into the main office where Sonic would wait for Ms. Reeves to come and pick him up.

* * *

><p>That night Sonic couldn't sleep. His mind kept replaying everything that had happened earlier. He was feeling really guilty about everything. He felt guilty for fighting with those boys, guilty for not talking to his principal, and mostly guilty for hurting Amy. He hadn't spoken to her since everything had happened and he was wondering if she was mad at him. He was just protecting her. Those boys were hurting her and being mean to her and he couldn't help but be reminded of himself when his father had done similar yet worse actions to him. He didn't want to see his friends get hurt especially if it was Amy. He sighed and sat up unable to sleep. He looked across the room to see Tails sleeping soundly and quietly got up from his bed. He picked up Charlie from the bed and began sneaking out of the room. He wanted to talk to Amy. Sonic walked through the dark hallway blindly, trying to remember where Amy's room was. He walked around the corner and stopped when his eyes fell on a familiar room. He could see Amy sleeping in her bed along with her four other roommates. He quietly walked into the room and climbed into bed with her.<p>

"Amy," he whispered, softly shaking her.

Amy mumbled before opening her jade green eyes to see Sonic's emerald orbs staring deeply at her. "Sonic…?" she asked in a daze, still half asleep.

She sat up rubbing her eyes and yawned. "What are you doing here?" she asked in a whisper.

"I wanna tell you I'm sorry," he said sadly.

She looked at him in confusion. "Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"Because…of what I did today…I made you mad at me," he stated with a frown.

Amy tried to fight the wave of dizziness that was starting to overcome her. She placed an unsteady hand on Sonic's shoulder hoping he wouldn't notice. "I'm not mad at you," she told him honestly.

Sonic's face brightened. "You're not?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "No."

"I thought you were ignoring me," he told her.

"No…I was just…resting," she said, looking away from him.

He looked at her in confusion, not really understanding.

"Thank you…for earlier," she whispered, pulling him into a hug.

He felt the heat rising to his cheeks as he hugged her back. When she pulled away from him she frowned.

"I just miss Franklin…" she said sadly, tears forming in her eyes. "This is my first time trying to sleep without him…"

Sonic frowned as he saw how sad she looked. He understood exactly how she felt. His emerald orbs fell onto his stuffed Chao Charlie who was sitting in his lap.

"Amy," he said, holding Charlie in his arms. "This is my best friend Charlie."

Amy looked at the stuffed Chao and smiled softly. "He's cute," she whispered with a small giggle.

Sonic smiled at her and looked back down at his stuffed animal. "My mommy got him for me for my birthday," he told her.

He held the Chao up to her. "I want you to have him now," he said.

She looked at him in surprise. "…You wanna give him to me…?" she asked unsurely.

He nodded with a smile, handing the stuffed animal to her. She looked down at it in wonder.

"Whenever I felt sad or scared, Charlie was always there to make me feel better," he told her. "Now, he can be there for you."

Amy smiled happily and pulled Sonic into another tight embrace. "Oh, Sonic!" she exclaimed a little loudly. "Thank you so much!"

Sonic blushed as she lightly kissed him on the cheek. The two little hedgehogs were oblivious to one of Amy's roommates almost waking up from all of the noise they were making. Amy hugged Charlie tightly with a big smile and Sonic found himself smiling too.

"I love him!" Amy said sweetly. "I promise I'll take good care of him," she told him.

"Do you pinky promise?" Sonic asked teasingly.

Amy nodded. "I pinky promise!" she said taking her pinky and linking it with his own.

They both burst into a fit of giggles as Amy laid back down in her bed. She snuggled into her blankets and hugged Charlie tightly. Her cheeks were flushed and she felt her headache coming back but tried her hardest to focus on Sonic who was sitting next to her. As he tried to get up to leave she gently grabbed his hand.

"Please don't go," she pleaded.

Sonic wordlessly crawled back into bed with her and snuggled close beside her.

"But what if we get in trouble?" he asked her, feeling a little unsure.

When they did this at the hospital the next night when she never came he was worried he had gotten her into trouble. Even though that wasn't the case, he couldn't help but worry about Ms. Reeves getting mad at them.

"Just until I fall asleep…" she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Ok," Sonic agreed.

He snuggled closer beside her with a small smile. Her eyes were closed and she was already almost asleep.

"Goodnight…Sonic…" she whispered weakly.

"Goodnight Amy," he said, his own eyes slowly closing.

* * *

><p>"You're it!" Tails said, laughing as he tagged Amy.<p>

"Aw," Amy whined as she stopped her running.

She watched as Tails quickly rejoined Sonic and ran away from her. The three of them were currently playing tag in the backyard. The two boys were laughing as she started chasing after them.

"You can't catch me!" Sonic teased as he ran around her quickly and made his way towards the swings.

"Yes I can!" Amy exclaimed through her giggles, determined now to catch the little cobalt hedgehog.

She chased after him as he zigzagged his way through obstacles trying to make a bigger gap between the two of them. As she chased after him she started to feel funny. Her breathing was becoming more labored, she felt light headed, and her body was starting to feel weak. She stopped running momentarily when her vision suddenly went black for a split second. Amy immediately knew what was wrong but every time it happened to her she would feel really scared. Her illness was picking up again in full force. She had started feeling the symptoms yesterday afternoon and Ms. Reeves wanted her to stay in bed and get some extra rest. She felt much better this morning though so she didn't think going outside to play would be a bad thing. Amy felt a stabbing pain in her chest and stopped running. The whole world was spinning around her as she clutched her chest in pain. She couldn't breathe and she felt her heart pounding painfully in her chest. Tears threatened her eyes as she tried to cry out for help but found she had no voice. Unable to stand any longer, Amy collapsed to the ground and passed out. When Sonic and Tails turned around they no longer saw Amy chasing after them. They looked at each other in confusion and at first thought she was trying to trick them but as they back tracked further her limp body lying on the ground suddenly came into view.

"Amy!" Sonic cried in a panic as he ran over to her.

Tails stood in place too shocked to move. He watched the scene taking place in horror.

Sonic knelt down beside her and began to shake her. "Amy, please wake up!" he cried, beginning to get scared.

When he got no response from her tears began to fill his emerald eyes. By now the scene had attracted the attention of all the other children playing outside and they started to watch anxiously. Tails broke out of the stupor he was in and began running in the direction of the house.

"I'm gonna get help!" he yelled to Sonic.

Tears were now rolling down Sonic's cheeks as he tried to get his best friend to wake up. "Don't leave me!" he sobbed, feeling helpless and scared.

"Please…W-We promised!" he whimpered.

Moments later Ms. Reeves came running up to where Sonic and Amy were with Tails trailing close behind. "Oh no! Amy!" she panicked as she knelt down to inspect the unconscious hedgehog.

Sonic was now sobbing as Ms. Reeves gently picked Amy up into her arms and rushed her into the house. Minutes later the kids could hear sirens coming up the road where Amy was then taken to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Sonic sat in the tree house with his arms wrapped securely around the railing. He leaned over the edge as his eyes stared blankly at the scenery around him. It was a beautiful sunny day but he wasn't in a cheerful mood to really enjoy it. One week has passed since Amy went to the hospital. Ms. Reeves had to sit down and explain to him that she was going to be fine but will be staying at the hospital for a little while. He was starting to understand now why she had told him she sometimes lived at the hospital. He hoped she was okay. He really missed her. This entire week he had felt very lonely and empty inside. He quickly realized just how much she meant to him. When she had collapsed he was afraid. He was so afraid he was going to lose her just like he had lost his mother. He couldn't handle losing Amy too. He sighed sadly as he kicked his dangling feet back and forth. He also felt terribly bored without Amy around to keep him company. Sure, he still had Tails to play with but it just wasn't the same without Amy.<p>

"Hey Sonic, we're gonna go get some ice cream. Wanna come?" Scourge asked as he and his friends were about to go down the slide.

Sonic shook his head. "Maybe later," he replied sounding bored.

"Alright, suit yourself," Scourge said before going down the slide.

When Sonic was alone again he let out another sigh. He missed Amy terribly. He watched Scourge and his friends down below walking and making their way back into the house. It was almost lunch time and he was starting to feel a little hungry. Maybe he should have taken Scourge's offer and left to get some ice cream. Ever since that day Sonic had gotten into a fight with that bully Scourge and his friends' attitudes changed towards him. They were now nice to him and treated him like a friend and equal. He had apparently earned their respect. Scourge said he had witnessed the entire thing and was surprised to find that Sonic wasn't such a wuss after all. Sonic felt bad when Scourge and his gang still teased Tails though and wouldn't let him up in the tree house. But Sonic found out that in some strange ways Scourge wasn't all that bad under that tough exterior of his. His antics are nothing like what the mean bullies Sonic had stood up to were. Sonic was also surprised to find he didn't get in trouble for what he had done. Mr. Watson had gotten the whole story from someone who had witnessed the entire scene even before Sonic had come to Amy's aid. One of the bullies even came clean and told on their echidna friend much to Mr. Watson's surprise. Sonic slowly stood up and stretched. He yawned and walked leisurely to the slide, deciding to take up Scourge's offer after all.


	7. The New Kid

_**Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I last updated! I just want to apologize to everyone for the extremely long wait. I took a break from writing for a while and recently just got back into it again. I plan to update this story a lot more frequently now and especially during the summer. The next few chapters I have already planned out and should come easy for me. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and that the wait for it was worth it.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven – The New Kid<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Seven years later<em>

A single police car drove up the dirt road path that led to the front of Station Square Children's Home. Children who were playing outside stopped momentarily to watch as the vehicle pulled up by the front entrance and parked in place. The driver's door opened revealing a middle aged police officer who walked over to the back door and opened it. Sitting slumped in the seat with his arms crossed was an ebony hedgehog with crimson eyes. He glared in annoyance at the officer who waited impatiently for him to get out of the car.

"Come on," the officer said, gesturing for him to get out. "Don't make things difficult."

Without a word the boy climbed out of the car, the scowl never leaving his face. The officer shook his head disapprovingly and began walking towards the building with the ebony hedgehog trailing behind. By now they had attracted the attention of several kids who watched them in curiosity. They began whispering to each other about the strange new boy and some kids even tried to follow them as they made their way towards Ms. Reeves' office. The officer lightly knocked on her door and she opened it expectantly.

"Hello, Ms. Reeves," the officer said politely as he shook her hand.

"Welcome Officer Thomas, thank you for coming," she said kindly. "Please come on in."

Ms. Reeves opened the door wider and Officer Thomas and the ebony hedgehog entered the room. She quickly closed the door behind them much to the dismay of the many onlookers who were watching from around the corner. She walked back over to her desk as the two of them sat down in two separate chairs. The young boy crossed his arms once more and resumed his slumping position in his seat. Officer Thomas handed Ms. Reeves a folder containing his file and information.

"It's nice to finally meet you Shadow," Ms. Reeves said with a small smile.

Shadow merely shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention towards the window. Her smile dimmed slightly and she turned her attention onto his file. She put on her reading glasses and began to review it for a couple of minutes. Finally, she removed her glasses in a bit of frustration and looked up at Shadow who continued to gaze out the window.

"You have gone through a dozen foster parents," she said in disbelief. "I don't understand. Are you trying to break some kind of a record?"

"He doesn't know the value of a good home," Officer Thomas said, glancing over at the ebony hedgehog.

Shadow finally turned his attention from the window and looked back over at Officer Thomas in annoyance. "They weren't home. There was no reason for me to stay," he said indifferently.

"The last place you were in had a swimming pool and you had your own room, what more do you want?" Officer Thomas asked.

Shadow looked away from him and refused to answer. Ms. Reeves sighed and shook her head as she continued to review Shadow's file.

"Fighting, stealing, truancy, running away…," she said slowly, reading his file. She looked back up at him. "I'm not sure if we have room around here for a trouble maker," she stated.

"Oh, Shadow's going to be a good boy, aren't you Shadow?" Officer Thomas said, glancing back down at him.

Shadow glared at Officer Thomas before looking away.

* * *

><p>Ms. Reeves began giving Shadow a tour of the home. She showed him where his new room was and allowed him to get settled with his suitcases before she continued escorting him around. He looked around with his hands deep in his pockets in disinterest as she showed him the rest of the house and living room, the cafeteria, and eventually the backyard where all the kids were currently playing. She looked over at him and noticed his distant expression. He had made no attempts to talk to her and showed little care for anything that she was telling him. Ms. Reeves placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him for a moment.<p>

"You know, you're lucky that I decided to take you in," she stated to him in a serious tone. "I'm taking a real chance on you here."

He rolled his crimson colored eyes and crossed his arms once more. He didn't want to hear anymore lectures from anyone. He was ready for everyone to leave him the Hell alone. She frowned at the delinquent hedgehog standing in front of her.

"You have one chance and that's it," she told him. "If you cause even the slightest bit of trouble here you're out."

Ms. Reeves meant what she said. She had been running this school for many years now and she always had children who followed her rules and behaved themselves. Some may have been a bit mischievous but for the most part none of them ever gave her any trouble. This was her first time taking in a child who had a criminal record and she wasn't sure if she had made the right decision. But she was known for being a very kind hearted and caring woman who could never turn a child away so she was going to give Shadow the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully he will follow her rules and won't cause any trouble.

"I run a low shift here," she told him, resuming their tour of the backyard. "If you are responsible with that freedom I treat you like an adult," she said.

Ms. Reeves looked him in the eyes. "Don't make me baby you."

With the tour completed she waved her hand and called for the kids to gather around. "Everyone, this is Shadow and he's new here," she said, placing both her hands on his shoulders.

"I know you will all help him feel at home here," she said with a smile. "How about showing him around?" she suggested to the group of kids.

"Hi, I'm Scourge! Wanna see my treehouse?" Scourge asked with a devious smirk.

"_Fresh meat,"_ he thought to himself. _"This is gonna be fun."_

"It's _everybody's_ treehouse Scourge to _share_," Ms. Reeves corrected him.

Scourge lazily put his hands behind his head. "That's why he's gonna be the guest of honor," he said, his smirk never leaving his face.

Shadow narrowed his eyes at him. He knew what this kid was going to try to do and it wasn't going to work. He decided to humor the green hedgehog though, and silently followed him as he led the way to the treehouse. He followed Scourge and a few of his friends as they climbed the stairs and quickly made it to the top. Shadow took a moment to look around and check out the view. He had a full view of the large backyard and could see the second story balcony of his new living arrangements. His crimson orbs scanned the dirt road path that brought him there and the country scenery that surrounded him. He shook his head in disgust.

"_What a piss of a town,"_ he thought to himself bitterly.

Shadow turned his attention to the boys in the treehouse who were snickering at him. He knew they were going to try to put a number on him but he honestly didn't care. Let them try it. His attention then trailed onto one boy who was sitting in the treehouse closest to where he stood who seemed uninvolved in the scheme the other boys were planning. He suddenly looked their way when he noticed their presence. His emerald eyes widened in slight surprise when he noticed the unfamiliar boy standing beside them.

"Hey, are you new?" he asked the ebony hedgehog.

Shadow silently nodded. The cobalt hedgehog stood up from where he was sitting and held out his hand for Shadow to shake. "Hi, I'm Sonic," he said with a friendly smile.

Shadow merely stared at him for a moment. When he made no attempt to shake Sonic's hand his smile fell as well as his hand. He looked at the new kid in confusion.

"Hey Shadow…there's something we like to do around here with new kids…," Scourge interjected, motioning himself in front of Shadow.

Sonic looked at Scourge with a frown. He knew what he was going to do. Scourge had done the very same thing to him when he first arrived at the home seven years ago back before they had become friends.

"Come on, Scourge," Sonic said, shaking his head. "Don't."

Scourge ignored him. Sonic may have become his friend but he knew he was still a wimp when it came to certain things such as this.

Shadow decided to entertain the green hedgehog. "Is that so?" he asked with indifference.

"Yeah," Scourge said with a snicker. "Close your eyes," he demanded.

"I ain't doing shit," Shadow said nonchalantly.

All of the boys' eyes grew wide when they heard his response. Sonic couldn't believe his own two ears. He had never heard a kid their age curse before. It took a moment for Scourge and his friends to recover from their initial shock.

After a moment, the smirk on Scourge's lips returned. "Oh, I get it," he said teasingly. "You're too _chicken_," he said with a laugh.

"No, I just really don't care," Shadow said as he dug through his pants pockets for something.

Scourge and his friends exchanged looks. Who was this kid? Shadow pulled out the pack of cigarettes he had been looking for and placed a cigarette in his mouth. All of the boys gasped with wide eyes as they watched him.

"Hey man, that's a cigarette!" Scourge said, pointing.

Shadow stared at him as though waiting for him to make some kind of a point. He lit his cigarette with his lighter and took a long drag before exhaling. The boys all gaped at him in awe and wonder. Their initial reactions made Shadow want to laugh.

"Do you want one?" he asked Scourge.

Scourge's ice blue eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.

"Sure, why not," Shadow said casually, removing a cigarette from his pack and handing it to him.

Scourge stared at the cigarette for a moment feeling a little unsure. He watched as Shadow lit it for him.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Shadow asked the green hedgehog in amusement.

Scourge narrowed his eyes and brought the cigarette up to his mouth.

"Wait, Scourge! Don't! Those things are bad for you!" Sonic exclaimed.

Shadow looked over at the cobalt hedgehog and made a small laugh. "So what?" he asked carelessly.

Sonic suddenly felt very small. He stammered, fumbling around with his words trying to find something to say. He watched helplessly as Scourge took a small drag on the cigarette. Almost immediately Scourge began to choke and gag. He pulled the offensive cigarette away from himself with watery eyes. Shadow couldn't help himself but laugh.

"It gets better after the first couple of hits," Shadow explained, urging him to take another drag.

Scourge cringed as he looked back down at the cigarette apprehensively. He wasn't too sure he wanted to try smoking this thing again. It tasted awful. He slowly brought the cigarette back up to his mouth and hesitated for a moment before taking another small drag. The second time around wasn't as bad but he still found himself coughing. After taking a couple more puffs he began to feel more at ease. He was even beginning to enjoy it. Shadow smirked as he resumed smoking his own cigarette.

"See, you got the hang of it now," he said, exhaling.

Scourge smiled feeling proud. Sonic watched the scene feeling extremely uncomfortable. He knew what they were doing was wrong. He wanted Scourge to stop. He looked behind him apprehensively as though afraid they were going to get caught. His emerald eyes searched the backyard for any sign of Ms. Reeves but she was nowhere to be seen. He turned his attention back onto the boys in front of him to see Shadow making smoke rings.

"Wow," Scourge breathed in amazement. "Can ya teach me how to do that?" he asked.

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. "Later," he said distantly. "It takes some practice," he told him.

"Cool," Scourge said with a smirk.

By now Scourge's other friends were asking if they could try it too and he handed them his cigarette. Shadow turned his attention back onto the cobalt hedgehog. He could tell he felt uneasy about what they were doing. A small smile tugged his lips.

"Sure you don't want to try it?" he asked, holding his cigarette out for Sonic to take.

Sonic shook his head with wide nervous eyes. "N-No thanks," he stammered.

"Oh, come on Sonic! Just try it!" Scourge urged him.

Sonic looked at the boys uneasily. He hesitated before slowly lifting his hand up to take the cigarette from Shadow's hand. Just as he was about to take it he heard Ms. Reeves calling for them to come inside from down below. He dropped his hand immediately and exhaled a sigh of relief. Shadow dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it and Scourge's friends did the same.

"You know new kid, you're not bad," Scourge said with a smile. "Why don't ya hang out with us during lunch," he suggested.

Shadow shrugged. "Sure, whatever," he said casually.

Usually Shadow preferred to be alone but he was having fun entertaining these little country boys. He had never seen anyone make such a fuss over him smoking before. He found it hilarious. He looked back over at the one kid who was too afraid to smoke. He could easily see that he was the kind of kid who was always good and innocent. He knew that he wasn't someone he would want to hang out with. Sonic watched anxiously as the new kid left with Scourge and his friends down the slide. His emerald eyes drifted back onto the stubbed out cigarette butt on the treehouse floor. He had seen many kids come and go over the years and none of them were anything like how this new kid was. He was bad news.

* * *

><p>Tails watched as Sonic continued to twirl his fork around his spaghetti. He had been awfully quiet since they came back from playing outside and he noticed Sonic had a troubled expression on his face.<p>

"Sonic, are you okay?" Tails asked in concern.

"Huh?" Sonic said absentmindedly, looking up from his plate of food.

He glanced over at Tails. "Yeah…I'm fine," he said in a low voice.

"You don't seem fine," Tails said as he took a bite of his mashed potatoes.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked in confusion.

Tails swallowed. "Well…you've been playing around with your food for the past five minutes." Tails pointed out.

Sonic didn't respond and stared blankly at his food. He still felt bothered by the events that took place in the treehouse earlier. He looked up and glanced over to Scourge's table. He could see him eating with his friends and saw Shadow sitting at the far end of the table remaining distant from the others.

"Sonic?" Tails asked again.

Sonic looked back over at his best friend. "Tails, if I tell you something, can you promise to keep it a secret?" he asked in a worried voice.

"Of course," Tails nodded.

"Okay…," Sonic said slowly in a low voice. He looked around quickly to make sure nobody can hear their conversation.

"You know the new kid?" he asked, his emerald eyes drifting back towards Scourge's table.

"Yeah," Tails said with a nod. "What about him?"

"Well…," Sonic said slowly. "Scourge was about to play a prank on him in the treehouse…" his voice trailed off.

Tails rolled his eyes at the mentioning of Scourge. "I tried to be his friend but he didn't really want to talk to me," Sonic said, taking a small bite of his food.

"Scourge was gonna push him down the slide…but then he started cursing…and uh…smoking…," he said the last part in a lowered voice.

Tails' cerulean eyes grew wide. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

Sonic nodded. "But that's not the worst part…He got Scourge to smoke too," he said with a frown.

Tails wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Smoking is gross," he said, looking over at the new kid who was quietly eating by himself.

"He wanted me to smoke too," Sonic admitted.

Tails looked at him in worry. "You didn't. Did you?" he asked.

Sonic shook his head. "No."

"Should we tell Ms. Reeves?" Tails asked thoughtfully.

"No!" Sonic exclaimed quickly. "If we tell then Shadow will know it was me. Let's just avoid him okay?" he suggested.

Tails nodded. "Alright," he said.

The two twelve year olds ate in silence for the next couple of minutes. Sonic's mind began to drift onto a certain pink hedgehog and a sad sigh escaped his lips.

"I miss Amy…," he admitted in a soft voice.

"Don't worry Sonic, I'm sure she's going to be coming home soon," Tails said optimistically.

"I know…but this is the longest time she's been away," he said sadly.

* * *

><p>Sonic yawned tiredly as he walked from the bathroom and down the hallway. He had just finished washing up for bed and was ready to get some much needed sleep. He rubbed at his tired eyes as he made his way towards his bedroom. Just as he was about to walk through the threshold his emerald eyes widened in shock when he noticed that his regular bed was now replaced with a bunk bed and sitting on the top was the very hedgehog he had wanted to avoid. Sonic quickly looked over to the other side of the room to see Tails sitting on his bed looking back at him with a worried expression.<p>

"_So much for avoiding him…,"_ Sonic thought to himself with a frown.

He slowly entered the room suddenly feeling uneasy. He didn't want any trouble with this boy. He just hoped he would leave him and Tails alone. Shadow noticed his presence and suppressed a groan. Out of all the kids to share a room with it _had_ to be the always do good poster child. He rolled his crimson colored eyes in annoyance.

"The top bunk is mine," Shadow said to the cobalt hedgehog below in an unfriendly tone.

"Fine," Sonic said in a low voice, trying to stay civil.

Tails gulped. He could practically feel the tension between the two hedgehogs. Sonic sat down on his bed feeling uncomfortable. Why did this kid have to be in _his_ room of all places? The room was silent for a few minutes before Shadow spoke once more.

"Who's the chick?" he asked, gesturing to the picture on the night table.

Sonic instinctively grabbed the picture and hugged it close to himself. Shadow merely shook his head in mild amusement with a smirk on his face. "She's my mom," Sonic told him with a sad expression and soft eyes.

Shadow nodded silently before laying back against his pillow. He began fiddling with his lighter and Sonic and Tails exchanged nervous looks. Sonic sighed and tried to relax as well. He placed his mother's picture under his pillow to keep it safe and laid down on his bed. Tails also tried to get comfortable but he couldn't help but glance across the room at his best friend and the ebony hedgehog lying on the bunk above him.

Ms. Reeves suddenly walked through the doorway to check on them. "Alright you three, lights out," she said, flicking the light switch.

She looked at each of them and Shadow made sure he hid his lighter underneath his blanket. "Goodnight boys," she said with a soft smile.

"Goodnight," Sonic and Tails whispered in unison.

Ms. Reeves took one last glance at the three boys before leaving the room and walked down the hallway. Sonic pulled his blankets close to himself. He was tired but felt uncomfortable about sleeping knowing that Shadow was in the room with him. He couldn't trust him. He looked across from him to see that Tails was already fast asleep. Sonic sighed softly and turned over so he was looking up at the bed above him. The room was silent. Shadow must have fallen asleep as well. Sonic felt more at ease and his emerald eyes began to droop. Soon enough he was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>Sonic's ears twitched to the sounds of movement above him. He shifted in his slumber, slowly becoming more alert. The noise only grew louder as he heard a loud thud on the hard wooden floor below. He opened an eye tiredly and looked to see a shadowy silhouette walking out of the room. He sat up and rubbed at his tired eyes in a daze. He looked across the room to see Tails still sleeping in his bed. It took Sonic a moment to remember that Shadow had been sleeping in their room with them.<p>

"_What's he doing?"_ Sonic asked himself in confusion.

He quietly climbed out of bed and began walking down the darkened hallway. He held onto the side of the wall for guidance as he led himself down the hall and towards the living room. He looked around but didn't see anyone. He continued his search until he noticed the front door opened on a crack. He timidly walked over to it and peaked through the doorway opening to see Shadow sitting on the front steps of the porch. Sonic opened the door quietly and stepped outside. Shadow heard the door open and turned to see the cobalt hedgehog standing in the doorway. He rolled his crimson colored eyes.

"What do _you_ want?" he asked in agitation.

"What are you doing?" Sonic asked with a soft yawn, rubbing his tired eyes.

"None of your business," Shadow said coldly.

Shadow turned away from him deciding not to pay him anymore attention. Sonic ignored his unfriendly attitude and stretched. He took in a deep breath of fresh air as a nice cool breeze began to blow and slowly approached the steps and sat down. Shadow glared daggers at Sonic.

"Seriously, can't you catch a hint?" Shadow said in exasperation.

Sonic frowned as he watched Shadow shake his head in frustration. He lifted up his bottle of beer and took a small sip. Sonic's emerald eyes grew wide as he watched him. Shadow glanced back at the boy next to him.

"What?" he asked annoyed.

"Is that beer?" Sonic asked, pointing at the bottle.

Shadow nodded. "…Yeah…" he said slowly, looking at the cobalt hedgehog as though he were crazy.

"What is it with you kids here? You act like you've never seen somebody drink or smoke before," he said with an eyebrow raised.

"Not somebody our age," Sonic pointed out.

Shadow laughed lightly. "You need to get out more then," he said, taking another swig of his beer.

There was a moment of silence before Shadow spoke again. "Why are you out here?" he asked, glancing at Sonic curiously.

"Well, you woke me up," Sonic said honestly, placing both hands behind his head leisurely.

Shadow smirked and shook his head. "So what, just go back to sleep then," he muttered.

Sonic sat in deep thought for a moment. "Well, since we are roommates now I was hoping we could be friends," he suggested.

Sonic honestly wanted the two of them to get along. He didn't want to have a roommate that he would constantly fight with. He became friends with Scourge after having a rough start so maybe the same can happen with Shadow too.

Shadow looked thoughtful for a moment but didn't say anything. He simply shrugged his shoulders. They sat in silence for a while looking up at the full moon.

"Why are you living here?" Shadow suddenly asked.

Sonic was startled by his sudden question after the long period of silence. "What?" he asked in surprise.

"Why are you stuck here living at this shit hole?" Shadow rephrased the question.

Sonic was slightly taken aback by his vulgarity. He took a moment to think and a frown appeared on his muzzle. "I-I uh…I don't wanna talk about it," he said in a low voice.

Shadow removed a cigarette from his pack and placed it in his mouth. "That bad huh?" he said, lighting up his cigarette and taking a small drag.

Sonic watched as he exhaled smoke into the cool air. "What about you?" he asked Shadow curiously.

"Me?" Shadow said. He laughed humorlessly as he sat in deep thought for a moment.

"Let's just say I come from a fucked up family," he said casually.

Shadow glanced over at the cobalt hedgehog to see him looking at him with wide, inquisitive eyes. He let out a sigh.

"I come from the city," he began to explain. "Not Station Square but the next city over, in Westopolis," he said.

"We lived in a rough part of the city. Neither of my folks made that much money and whatever they did make they blew it on booze and drugs," he explained.

He took another long drag of his cigarette before continuing. "My mom was alright when she was straight but my dad…well, he had a drinking problem," he said slowly, recalling the memories.

Sonic listened intently. He had never met another kid at the home who had a family previously like he did. Shadow flicked the ashes from his cigarette.

"When my old man drank, he became a completely different person. He would become violent," he said in a low voice.

Sonic's eyes lit up with recognition. Shadow's story was beginning to sound painfully familiar. Sonic used to think he was the only one who had a violent father but apparently he was wrong.

"Did he hurt you?" Sonic found himself asking.

"Sometimes," Shadow admitted. "But it was mostly my mom," he told him.

"They would always argue and when he was drunk he would lose control of himself," he said.

Shadow glanced at the smaller hedgehog sitting beside him and noticed him looking deep in thought. His emerald green eyes were intense as though he were remembering something. Perhaps he wasn't such an innocent kid after all.

"…So how'd you end up here?" Sonic slowly asked him.

"Well, the shit with my parents happened when I was young," Shadow explained, taking another drag of his cigarette. "I was taken away and they put me into homes kind of like this place."

Shadow looked at Sonic with a serious expression. "Let me tell you, the kids in the city are not like the kids here at this dump. It's a fight for survival and only the strongest will survive," he told him.

"I never liked staying in one place for too long so I often left and lived on my own for a while. It's better living on the streets than in those shitty homes."

Sonic looked at Shadow in awe. He couldn't even imagine living on his own all alone especially when he was much younger.

"I eventually made my way over to Station Square where I was put into several foster homes. I hated them. I didn't want to be around anybody pretending to be my family and pretending to care about me. I didn't want anyone telling me what to do so I left. That's what eventually led me here," he said. "The cops eventually got sick of chasing after me."

"Wow," Sonic breathed in astonishment.

Shadow smirked and put out the remains of his cigarette. "Alright, so you got my back story. Now I want to hear yours," he told the cobalt hedgehog.

Sonic's face paled a bit and he began fiddling with his fingers nervously. Shadow immediately noticed his hesitancy. "Just say it," he urged.

Sonic swallowed thickly. He had never talked about his past to anyone. He hadn't even thought about his father for the past seven years now. He was happy to finally be free from him. But his freedom came with a price and that price was the loss of his mother. Not a single day went by where he hadn't missed her or thought about her.

"W-Well…," he started uneasily. "My story is a lot like yours…" he admitted.

Shadow's crimson eyes lit up with surprise. "Really?" he asked him.

Sonic nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah…except…m-my dad never hurt my mom…he always hurt m-me instead…" he said in a low, uneasy voice.

Shadow nodded in understanding. "So, that's how you ended up here?" he asked. Sonic nodded.

"What about your mom?" Shadow asked.

"She's not around anymore…" Sonic said in a sad, quiet voice.

Shadow understood what he meant. He looked at the cobalt hedgehog and found himself feeling a newfound respect for him. They both shared similar hardships and weren't too different after all. Sonic on the other hand felt like some kind of weight had been lifted. For some reason it felt good to talk about some of the things he had been bottling up over the years. He never had anyone he could talk to about it who would truly understand.

"I think we can be friends," Shadow suddenly said, staring up at the bright full moon.

A small smile formed on Sonic's lips. "Really?" he asked.

Shadow nodded. He picked up his bottle of beer and handed it to Sonic. "Here, have some," he offered him.

Sonic looked down at the bottle of alcohol hesitantly. "I-I don't know…" he stammered uneasily.

"Don't be a little bitch about it," Shadow said in slight annoyance. "Just drink it."

Sonic took a deep breath. "Okay…," he said slowly.

He lifted the bottle up to his lips anxiously and closed his emerald eyes as he began drinking a mouthful. Almost immediately he pulled the bottle away from his mouth and winced. The alcohol had a foul taste and it burned at his throat.

"It tastes terrible…," Sonic muttered, making a face.

Shadow laughed. "It's an acquired taste," he told him. "You may not like how it tastes but you'll like the buzz you get from it."

Shadow took another cigarette from his pack and lit it. "Here," he said, handing it to Sonic.

Sonic took the cigarette in his hand tentatively. He felt like his new friend was putting him under some kind of friendship initiation. He slowly brought it closer to his mouth then hesitated.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Would you just take a hit already?" he told him impatiently.

Sonic nervously brought the cigarette up to his mouth and took a small drag. His eyes grew wide and he immediately began to choke and cough just as Scourge had. He held the cigarette away from himself with watery eyes as he continued his coughing fit. That was by far the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted. His lungs screamed at him rejecting the tobacco he was forcing into his small body.

"Remember what I told your friend earlier? It gets better after the first couple of hits," Shadow reminded him.

Sonic winced as he looked back down at the burning cigarette in his hand. He really didn't want to smoke it again. He was still lightly coughing when he brought the cigarette back up to his mouth for a second drag. Sonic knew what he was doing was wrong but for some reason he couldn't stop himself. His body seemed to ignore his mind that insisted for him to stop. He found himself wanting to be accepted by his new friend. Shadow was the only person he has ever met who shared a life so similar to his own. He wanted to continue having someone like him he could talk to. It wasn't long before Sonic began to become more comfortable. His coughing subsided and he began to relax as he took another long drag.

"See, there you go," Shadow said with a small grin. Sonic beamed back at him feeling accepted.

"Smoking helps calm your nerves," Shadow told him.

There was a moment of silence as Sonic continued smoking his first cigarette. He was beginning to really like it.

"So, how old are you anyway, Sonic?" Shadow asked him.

"Twelve," Sonic said, exhaling.

"I'm thirteen."

Shadow watched Sonic as he continued enjoying his cigarette. He felt a sense of pride swell up inside of him for some reason. The cobalt hedgehog seemed to admire him and look up to him almost like a big brother. He never had anyone look up to him before and he kind of liked the feeling. As he watched Sonic he decided to take him under his wing like a big brother would. Now their friendship was official.

* * *

><p>Amy was full of bubbly excitement as Ms. Reeves pulled the car up to the front driveway and put it in park. After three long months she was finally home. She had been sick in the hospital for a very long time. It was the longest she had ever been there. Her illness continued to attack with a vengeance whenever she started to feel better and she was forced to stay in bed until it finally passed. She couldn't wait to see Sonic and Tails. She really missed them both. She thought about them every day while she was at the hospital. She found herself mostly thinking about Sonic though. He seemed to be on her mind an awful lot lately.<p>

"We're here," Ms. Reeves said with a smile.

She knew how much Amy wanted to go home. Amy practically jumped out of the car and ran to the front door of the home. Ms. Reeves laughed softly as she let the little pink hedgehog inside. It was lunch time and the kids were all currently eating inside the cafeteria. Amy made her way into the cafeteria and looked around for a certain blue hedgehog.

"Hey! Amy! Over here!" she heard a familiar voice say.

Amy turned around to see Tails sitting at one of the lunch tables waving for her to come over. She smiled happily and quickly made her way over to him.

"Hi, Tails!" she said with a giggle as she sat down beside him.

Tails pulled her into a friendly hug. "I missed you," he said, pulling away with a smile.

"I missed you too!" she exclaimed happily.

"Are you feeling better now?" Tails asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, much better," she said.

"That's good," he said, taking a small bite of his food.

Amy began looking around the cafeteria once more and Tails frowned a little knowing who she was looking for.

"Where's Sonic?" she asked in confusion.

"Well…uh…," he paused, trying to find the right thing to say. "Amy, there's something I need to tell you…," he said in a low voice.

She looked at him beginning to feel worried. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Tails was silent for a moment. "Why don't you go get some lunch first," he suggested.

Amy didn't really like the way Tails was acting. She quietly got up from her seat with a small frown on her face and made her way over to where the food was laid out. She grabbed herself a biscuit and a cup of milk and made herself her usual salad before making her way back to the table. She watched Tails as he nervously played around with his food. Worry began to fill her heart. Did something happen to Sonic while she was away? Was he adopted? Was he hurt? She _needed_ to know.

"Is Sonic okay?" she asked with worry.

Tails shrugged, not looking at her. "I don't know…," he said to her honestly.

She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tails sighed. "Amy…Sonic's changed since you've been gone," he told her.

She stared at the two tailed fox not really getting what he meant. "What do you mean he's changed?" she asked feeling puzzled.

"While you were gone a new kid came here…and Sonic started hanging out with him a lot," he told her.

Amy stabbed at her salad with her fork listening intently. She took a small bite and looked at Tails eagerly, urging for him to continue.

Tails paused for a moment. "This kid is bad Amy. He makes Scourge look good," he said.

"I don't think Scourge is really that bad…," Amy said in a soft voice.

"You don't understand Amy…" Tails said in a low voice. "This kid is really bad. He swears all of the time and he smokes cigarettes," he told her.

Amy's eyes grew wide. "…Really?" she asked anxiously.

Tails nodded and a frown fell on his face. "Yeah…and now Sonic is always hanging around with him. He hardly even spends time with me anymore…," Tails said sadly.

Amy couldn't believe her ears. Sonic wouldn't ignore Tails. They were best friends. This didn't sound like Sonic at all.

"That's not all Amy…," Tails continued. "Sonic started doing bad things too…," he said in a low voice.

Amy shook her head in disbelief. "No…Sonic…He wouldn't!" she exclaimed, feeling tears pricking at her eyes.

Tails looked at her feeling hurt. "I'm not lying," he told her honestly.

Amy quietly looked down at her plate of food with a sad expression. She couldn't believe what Tails was telling her. Sonic was her best friend. He was always a sweet and kind hearted person. He never did anything to get into trouble before. She didn't like hearing that he's changed and become a trouble maker. She simply couldn't believe it. The two sat and ate their food in silence for a couple of minutes. Amy's happy mood deflated like a popped balloon as her thoughts continued to plague her. Finally, after a long time, she looked back up from her plate of food and glanced back over at Tails.

"Where is Sonic?" she asked again quietly. "I want to talk to him."

Tails shrugged. "I don't know…I haven't seen him since this morning."

* * *

><p>Two old, small, and run down school buses pulled up to a dirt road path and parked in place. The bus driver opened the door and excited kids began to quickly run out. Today Ms. Reeves decided to take the kids out on a small field trip to a quiet park that happened to be ten minutes away from the home. It had picnic and recreation areas and nature trails and was surrounded by protected wilderness. Amy sat on the bus staring out the window sadly. She still hadn't seen Sonic. She spent the whole day after lunch looking for him and even tried to find him when they were getting onto the bus but she still didn't see him anywhere. She wanted to talk to him so badly.<p>

Amy felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her attention from the window to see Tails looking at her with a small smile. "Come on, Amy," he said cheerfully. "Let's go play."

They quickly got up from their seats and began to get off the bus. Amy wasn't really in the mood to play but she wanted to make Tails happy. He seemed so sad earlier. They hopped off the bus and looked around eagerly at the beautiful scenery around them.

"Listen up! I want you back here in an hour!" Ms. Reeves called out to the kids as she took a seat at a nearby picnic table.

The kids quickly spread out into various directions, running off to do different things. Amy and Tails ran off towards a large opening where they could see the nearby mountains across from them. Amy smiled faintly admiring their beauty. Tails lightly grasped her hand and began to lead her in another direction.

"Let's go this way!" he said excitedly, pointing to one of the nature trails.

"Okay," Amy said with a small smile.

It was a beautiful fall afternoon and the weather and scenery was beginning to cheer her up a bit. She followed Tails as he led her through the trail. They began to play a friendly game of tag, zigzagging through the trail. Tails laughed when Amy stopped their game when she saw a huge spider web. She balled her hands up into little fists and held them in front of her face childishly as Tails helped her avoid it. Tails was still laughing as Amy tried to recover from her temporary fright.

"It's not funny, Tails!" she pouted, stomping her foot. "Spiders are creepy," she said with a shudder.

Tails held a hand over his stomach as he tried to stifle his laughter. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" he chuckled, wiping tears that formed in his cerulean eyes.

Amy smiled and pushed him playfully. He pushed her back with a laugh and soon enough they had resumed their game of tag. Amy was running ahead, trying to avoid Tails when she suddenly stopped short. Tails accidentally bumped into her and looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

He turned his attention to where she was looking and his eyes widened in slight surprise. Standing a few feet away from them was Shadow, Scourge and some of his friends, and the very hedgehog they had been looking all day for. They were all smoking and engaged in conversation, completely oblivious to Amy and Tails' presence. Amy bit her bottom lip as she stared at Sonic, watching him smoke his cigarette. She couldn't believe her eyes. Tails was right. She felt her jade colored eyes moisten and she suddenly lacked the confidence to confront her friend. Tails looked at the group of boys and then back at Amy with a small frown. He didn't know what to say. The one boy, who Amy did not recognize suddenly noticed the two of them standing there and nodded to the others, alerting them of their presence. Sonic turned his attention to where Shadow was looking and his emerald eyes widened in shock.

"Amy?" he said in surprise.

He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face. He was so happy to suddenly see her. He had missed her terribly. Amy could only stare at him, unable to find words. Her jade eyes fell onto the cigarette that was still in Sonic's mouth and she suddenly felt a fit of fury overcome her. She balled her small hands up into little fists and narrowed her eyes at him.

"When did you come back?" Sonic asked as he approached her, completely oblivious to her anger.

Amy didn't answer. She was furious with him. She had never in her entire life felt so angry before. She also felt disappointed. She just couldn't believe what Sonic was doing. Before she could respond she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. Her cheeks flushed and she temporarily forgot all about her anger as Sonic hugged her. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, relishing in the feeling of his closeness. She had missed him so much.

"I missed you, Amy," Sonic said softly.

He pulled away from the embrace. "Are you feeling okay now?" he asked her, his expression soft.

Amy found herself silently nodding as she looked deep into his emerald colored eyes.

A relieved smile appeared on Sonic's face. "I'm so happy!" he said, his grin widening. "I was really worried about you," he told her honestly.

His attention was suddenly taken away from Amy when he heard Scourge and his friends snickering at them. A faint blush filled his cheeks.

"Is that your girl, Sonic?" Shadow asked with a sly smile.

Amy's eyes grew wide from the comment and she felt her cheeks suddenly burning. Sonic rubbed the back of his head bashfully, averting his gaze to the ground.

"S-She's my friend," he stammered, feeling embarrassed.

"Sure she is," Shadow said with a smirk, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Amy looked at the ebony hedgehog then back at Sonic who had resumed smoking his own cigarette. She gasped as she watched him and the anger she had felt earlier instantly returned.

"Stop it!" she exclaimed, ripping the cigarette out of Sonic's mouth.

"Hey! Amy! What are you doing?" Sonic cried as he watched her angrily throw the cigarette onto the ground and step on it.

"I can't believe you!" she said with teary eyes.

"What?" Sonic asked feeling confused.

"Don't you know those things are bad for you!" she shouted, jabbing a finger into Sonic's chest.

"Who cares? We all gotta die someday anyway," Shadow interjected nonchalantly.

Amy glared at the ebony hedgehog. He must be the new kid Tails was talking about. "I wasn't asking you!" she said angrily.

Shadow lightly laughed at her in response. "Whatever babe," he said, exhaling smoke into the air.

Sonic looked at Amy feeling hurt. He had never seen her so angry before. "Amy…We were just having a little smoke. Why are you so mad?"

Amy stared at him in disbelief. Was he really asking her that? She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Tails was right…You really have changed!" she exclaimed angrily.

Sonic looked at Amy then at Tails with hurt in his eyes. "No I haven't!" he protested.

"Yes you have!" Amy cried, fighting back her tears. "And I don't like what you turned into!"

Sonic's eyes widened when he noticed a single tear rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, her jade eyes looking fierce.

"Amy…," Sonic said slowly in a low voice.

He took a step towards her and she backed away from him shaking her head.

"You're not my friend anymore…," she said in an uneven voice.

Sonic froze. He felt like she had just physically slapped him.

"W-What?" he stammered, his voice becoming broken.

Amy turned away from him and grabbed Tails' hand. "Come on Tails! Let's go!" she said quickly, pulling him as she started quickly walking away.

"Amy! Wait!" Sonic cried desperately. "Y-You don't really mean that…do you…?" he asked, feeling his emerald eyes moistening.

Amy kept pulling Tails and refused to look back or answer him. She wanted to get as far away from him as she possibly could. She was trying so hard not to cry. She felt an unfamiliar stabbing feeling in her heart that hurt her worse than when her illness was at its full strength. Tails looked back at Sonic with a frown. He really hoped that things would go back to the way they once were. He didn't want to lose Sonic as a friend.

"Amy! Come back!" Sonic cried, fighting back his tears.

He was about to chase after her when he felt Shadow put an arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Sonic," he said casually. "She'll get over it," he told him.

Sonic looked at Shadow with uncertainty. "Are you sure…?" he asked in a sad voice.

Shadow nodded. "Chicks always overreact over stuff like this," he stated.

"Damn, Rosie sure is pissed," Scourge mentioned as he put out the remains of his cigarette. "I don't think I've ever seen her that pissed off before."

Sonic's frown deepened. His gaze fell back onto the trail Amy had disappeared in feeling an unbearable emptiness inside of his heart. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and there was a constant pang in his chest. The feeling seemed to only grow worse with every passing second that went by. He tried his hardest to keep himself composed, not wanting to cry in front of the guys. Amy meant everything to him. He couldn't imagine life without her as his friend.

* * *

><p>Dusk was fast approaching and all the children in the home were busy in the backyard with sheets and blankets. They talked and laughed excitedly as they worked together making their own individual tents to sleep in. Whenever the weather became cool Ms. Reeves would let the kids sleep outside and camp out. It was always a treat for the kids. They enjoyed it and found it to be a lot of fun. Ms. Reeves was currently standing on the second story balcony leaning over the railing watching them with a soft smile. She would give the kids some time to have fun and socialize before putting them to bed. She turned and walked over to a white rocking chair and sat down to relax. It was a beautiful evening. The sky was a mixture of pink, orange, and blue as the sun continued to set over the horizon and there was a cool breeze that seemed to soothe anyone who were touched by it.<p>

Down below, Tails was in the midst of putting his tent up as he watched Amy with a worried expression on his face. She wore a deep frown as she silently picked up some sheets and tossed them over a clothesline. She hadn't spoken a single word since the two of them left the park earlier.

"Do you want some help?" he offered, trying to make conversation.

Amy quickly shook her head. She remained silent as she took some clothespins and placed them on her sheets that were over the clothesline. She made sure it was secure and knelt down and grabbed thick blankets from a wicker basket and began to prepare her bedding. Tails frowned as he watched her. He wished there was something he could do or say to cheer her up. He hated seeing her looking so sad.

Meanwhile, across the yard, Sonic stood staring hopelessly at Amy with a strong sense of longing. He watched her in a daze, his emerald eyes soft as he held a basket of sheets in his two hands. Scourge shook his head when he glanced over at the cobalt hedgehog. Anyone who looked at Sonic could tell his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Yo, Sonic! A little help here would be nice!" Scourge called in slight annoyance.

"Huh?" Sonic said absentmindedly.

He turned his attention back onto his friend who was waiting for him to bring the basket of sheets over. He looked down at the basket and remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh, sorry," he said distantly.

"Damn, you got it bad," Scourge muttered as he grabbed some sheets.

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked in confusion, not getting his drift.

"You're totally diggin' on Rosie," Scourge said as he tossed some sheets over the clothesline.

Sonic's eyes grew wide and a light blush filled his cheeks. "N-No I'm not!" he quickly denied, shaking his head. "I'm just upset…," he admitted with a sigh. "I don't want to lose her as a friend…"

A smirk traced Scourge's lips. "Sonic, she's just a chick," he said with a laugh. "You sound pathetic right now."

Sonic frowned. He didn't expect his friends to understand. Amy wasn't just some _chick_ to him. She was special. She was his best friend. She was the only person who truly made him feel happy, wanted, and most importantly _loved_. He could always talk to her about anything and he could always be himself around her. He didn't want to give up their friendship for anything in the world. It was silent for a couple of minutes as the boys continued building their tent. After a while Scourge looked up at Sonic to see him looking dejected as he folded some blankets. He let out a low groan and rolled his ice blue eyes. Sonic was acting really lame right now. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"Lighten up will ya?" Scourge said as he tossed a couple pillows onto the bedding they had just made. "Shadow said she'll be crawling back to you soon anyway," he said coolly.

Sonic looked up and met Scourge's gaze. "Where is Shadow?" he asked curiously. He hadn't seen him since dinner.

"Said he was gettin' some stuff for tonight," Scourge said, lying back against his pillow.

Back across the yard Amy had just finished making her tent and bedding. Her tent was directly across from Tails' tent so the two of them can talk to each other before they went to sleep. She crawled inside and sat down hugging her legs close to herself and looked up into Tails' cerulean eyes. He smiled softly at her, hoping she would be more cheerful and talkative now.

Amy was anything but cheerful. Her mind continued to replay the events that happened earlier at the park. She was overcome with a mixture of emotions. She still felt so furious with Sonic. She had never been so angry with him before. She just couldn't believe he had become a trouble maker. And he seemed to be enjoying what he was doing nonetheless. She also felt terribly sad. Seeing him changing into a completely different person not only upset her but it also kind of scared her. He meant too much to her and she couldn't imagine not having him in her life. Her mind wandered back onto the last thing she had said to him. She had told him he wasn't her friend anymore. Regret filled her heart as she sat and thought about it. She was just so upset with him at that moment. There had been a double meaning behind what she had said. It wasn't that she didn't want to be his friend anymore but that he wasn't the same Sonic she knew and loved. He was quickly changing into someone else and she wasn't too sure she would be able to accept it. She didn't want him to change. It was all because of that new kid. If he had never shown up Sonic wouldn't have changed and suddenly become bad.

Tails took in a big breath of fresh air as a cool breeze gently blew across his face. He let out a relaxed sigh as he looked up at the darkening sky. "It's really nice out tonight," he mentioned with a small smile.

"Yeah…," Amy said softly, gazing up at the sky as well.

Tails' smile dimmed a bit when he noticed how sad Amy sounded. The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Tails looked up at Amy to see her lost in deep thought.

"Did you mean what you said earlier…?" he asked her in almost a whisper.

Amy frowned. She knew what Tails was referring to. If she were to be honest with herself the truth was she didn't mean it. She couldn't imagine not having Sonic as a friend anymore.

"I don't know…," she said quietly.

Tails frowned and grew silent for a moment. "Maybe Sonic will stop doing bad things and go back to the way he was," he said, trying to be optimistic. He wasn't ready to lose Sonic as a friend either. He was his best and only friend aside from Amy. Tails had been so lonely before he had met Sonic.

"What if he doesn't?" Amy asked sadly, looking into Tails' eyes.

Tails' shoulders visibly slumped at the thought and his gaze fell onto his pillow that sat in his lap. "Should we tell Ms. Reeves about Shadow and what he's been doing?"

Amy shook her head. "No…," she said slowly. "I don't want Sonic to get into trouble…"

If Ms. Reeves ever found out what Sonic was doing she would surely send him away to another home somewhere due to his behavior and Amy didn't want that to happen.

Meanwhile, Sonic was lying inside his tent looking up at the early night sky with his hands behind his head. His ears twitched as he heard footsteps approaching and he sat up slightly to see Shadow sauntering his way over towards the tent. He stopped in front of Sonic and Scourge and dropped a green backpack to the ground.

"Hey man, what took ya so long?" Scourge asked with a light yawn.

"I couldn't find my cards," Shadow told him coolly.

The two boys looked up at Shadow curiously as he crawled inside the tent and placed a lantern he had been carrying down. "I'm going to teach you guys how to play poker," he said with a playful smile.

"Cool," Scourge said as he stretched and slowly sat himself up.

Shadow paused for a moment and looked around cautiously to make sure nobody was nearby. He closed the flap of the tent so nobody could see what they were doing and unzipped his backpack. Sonic and Scourge quietly watched as Shadow began rummaging through his bag. He found his pack of cards and tossed it onto the blankets and pulled the top part of his bag down to reveal two large bottles of liquor.

"Alright! You brought beer!" Scourge exclaimed happily, lifting up one of the bottles.

"How'd you get it?" Sonic asked curiously.

"I snuck into town a few nights ago," Shadow explained with a sly smile.

Scourge opened the one bottle and began drinking a large mouthful. He sighed in contentment as he pulled the bottle away from himself and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Shadow opened his pack of playing cards and began shuffling them and setting them up. Sonic watched him distantly. He was honestly not really in the mood to play cards. He couldn't stop thinking about Amy and what she had said to him earlier. He was hurting inside. All he wanted to do was talk to her and mend their friendship. Shadow looked up at Sonic and noticed the sad expression on his face.

"Are you still thinking about that chick?" he asked him, already knowing the answer.

Sonic frowned and didn't respond.

"He's been a total drag all night," Scourge stated as he took another sip of beer.

"That's another reason why I brought the beer," Shadow said, taking the second bottle out of his bag.

"Here," he said, handing the bottle to Sonic. "It'll help you feel better and take your mind off shit for a while," he told him.

Sonic stared down at the bottle in his hands. He definitely wanted to feel better. He couldn't stand the sinking feeling that he felt in his heart anymore. Without a second thought he opened the bottle with ease and began drinking large mouthfuls. His body immediately felt warmed from the alcohol and he felt a little light headed.

"Damn Sonic, save some for later," Shadow joked.

But Sonic didn't stop. He continued to chug the alcohol down, enjoying the sensation it made him feel. Finally he pulled the bottle away from himself and let out a big breath. "Alright, let's play poker," he said with a forced smile.

Amy was beginning to feel tired and laid down. She snuggled in her blankets and looked across from her to see Tails deciding to do the same. It was almost completely dark outside now but she could still see her surroundings.

"Ok kids, lights out!" Ms. Reeves called out from the balcony.

The sounds of kids groaning could be heard as Ms. Reeves watched all of the lanterns going out for each tent. She sat back down in the rocking chair and turned on a record player that was on a small table beside her. Relaxing jazz music began to play throughout the backyard and she smiled softly, slowly rocking herself to the tune.

"Goodnight Tails," Amy quietly whispered.

He smiled back at her. "Goodnight Amy," he said with a yawn.

Amy sat up slightly and closed the flap to her tent and laid back down. She reached for Sonic's old stuffed chao that was lying beneath the blankets and hugged it tightly. She felt so sad and lonely at that moment. She was desperate for some form of comfort. A loose tear escaped her eye against her will and she sniffled. She slowly closed her eyes and tried not to think about Sonic anymore. It wasn't long before she had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

><p>Sonic laid on his side of the tent wide awake. He and the guys had stayed up late drinking and playing cards. Shadow and Scourge eventually went to bed but Sonic couldn't sleep. He turned over slightly to see his friends in a deep slumber. He let out a sigh. Drinking had helped get his mind off of Amy for a while. He was even enjoying himself. But now that he was by himself and left with his thoughts his mind drifted back onto her once again. His desire to see her only seemed to grow more intense due to the alcohol. He pulled the blankets off of himself and sat up. He couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to see her. He quietly crawled out of the tent being careful not to wake his two friends and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It was a dark night and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. The only source of light to be found was the stars in the sky. He turned on his lantern and began searching for Amy's tent. He stumbled a few times as he avoided the other tents spread out across the lawn before reaching hers. He knelt down in front of the entrance to her tent and slowly pulled the doorway sheet away to see her sleeping soundly amongst her blankets. For a moment he just watched her and a faint smile fell on his face when he noticed her hugging his old stuffed chao Charlie. He quietly crawled inside her tent and sat beside her.<p>

"Amy," he whispered softly as he gently shook her.

She lightly moaned in protest from his actions and shifted in her slumber.

"Amy, wake up," he said a little louder, shaking her harder.

Amy slowly opened her jade colored eyes and was surprised to see Sonic sitting beside her.

"Sonic…?" she asked tiredly, feeling confused.

She slowly sat up from her bed and faced him. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," he said with a small frown.

Amy's expression grew soft and she looked down at her blankets.

"Do you really not want to be friends anymore?" Sonic asked her sadly.

Amy refused to meet his gaze. She fiddled with her fingers timidly as she tried to think of what to say. The longer she took to respond the more Sonic felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt a sudden pang in his chest and the sinking feeling he had felt from earlier was quickly returning. Finally, Amy looked back up at him.

"I-I…," she stammered. She paused and took a short breath before continuing. "I…didn't mean what I said earlier…," she admitted. "I was just upset with you," she told him honestly.

Sonic let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "So…we're still friends?" he asked her, his eyes soft.

She nodded. She just couldn't bear not having him as her friend. Sonic sighed in relief. He gently grasped Amy's hand and pulled her into a strong embrace. He hugged her tightly, almost afraid that if he let her go she would disappear. A light blush filled her cheeks and tears threatened her jade colored eyes as she tightly hugged him back. The two stayed like that for a while, savoring the moment.

"I'm sorry Amy," Sonic apologized in almost a whisper.

Amy couldn't fight back her tears anymore and hugged him tighter. "I'm sorry too!" she cried, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Don't cry…," he whispered softly.

He hated seeing her cry. He held her in his arms comfortingly, lightly rocking her back and forth. After a while she calmed down and they slowly pulled away from the embrace. Sonic looked down at Amy and saw the tear stains on her pretty face. He found himself subconsciously cupping her face with his hands and he began wiping her tears away with his thumbs. His emerald eyes drifted onto her lips and he suddenly felt the strong desire to feel them against his own. He was overcome by such a powerful feeling that was beyond his understanding. Amy stared at him with wide eyes. She suddenly felt her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She had never seen Sonic stare at her with such intensity before. He slowly closed his eyes and bent his head down towards her and lightly brushed her lips with his own. The moment their lips met the two felt a powerful electricity surge throughout their bodies. It was as though a fire had just ignited and been awakened from deep within them both. All too soon the kiss ended as Sonic slowly pulled away and the two stared deep into each other's eyes both yearning to feel the other's lips once more. Amy's hand gently caressed his cheek and the two both found themselves leaning into each other for another kiss. Sonic's lips met hers once more and he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him. Their lips molded each other's in perfect sync almost as though they were made for each other. Sonic couldn't help the big smile that appeared on his face as he slowly pulled away. He felt like he was flying. Amy touched her lips gingerly as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"…You…just kissed me!" she exclaimed softly, still trying to get over her initial shock.

"Yeah…I guess I did," he said huskily, just above a whisper.

His emerald eyes still held their intense gaze as he stared at her. He honestly didn't know what had just come over him. One thing was certain though, something had happened the moment their lips touched and he liked it. He liked it a lot. So much so that he wanted to kiss her again.

Amy wrinkled her nose when she suddenly smelled the alcohol on his breath. "Sonic…have…you been drinking…?" she asked him, a frown appearing on her face. Her racing heart was beginning to calm down and her excitement was quickly becoming replaced with disappointment.

Sonic shrugged. "A little bit," he admitted, not seeing what the big deal was.

Amy's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "Sonic, how could you!" she exclaimed, suddenly feeling as though he had betrayed her.

"It was just a few drinks Amy," he told her. "Why are you making such a big deal about it?"

Amy felt fresh tears threatening her jade colored eyes. "Because I don't like seeing you doing all of this bad stuff!" she told him honestly, fighting back her tears. "Why are you doing it?" she asked him desperately, feeling loose tears escaping her eyes.

Sonic gently wiped the tears from her wet cheeks. "Because I like it," he told her honestly in a serious tone.

She looked at him in disbelief. "What's happened to you?" she asked him feeling hurt.

She pulled away from him as though his very touch burned her. Sonic frowned and he felt a sudden pang in his chest.

"You're not the same person anymore," she said, her voice uneven.

"Yes I am!" Sonic protested feeling hurt. It hurt him whenever he heard her say that. "Just because I do this stuff doesn't mean I'm a different person!" he told her desperately.

She looked away from him and didn't respond. Sonic let out a sad sigh and glanced down at Amy's blankets. It was silent for a moment before Amy spoke once more.

"It's all because of that new kid…," she whispered softly, feeling a hint of anger towards the ebony hedgehog. "He's changing you…"

Sonic looked at Amy with a small frown. "No he's not," he said. "Shadow's my friend," he told her in a serious tone. "We have a lot in common and I can talk to him about stuff I can't talk to anyone else about," he admitted in a low voice.

Amy looked up at him with hurt in her eyes. "You can always talk to me…," she told him softly.

He smiled sadly at her. Ever since they were younger the two of them could always tell each other anything. But Sonic could never talk to her about his past or about his father. He never wanted her to know about it and he wanted to keep it that way.

"You wouldn't understand…," he told her in a low voice.

Amy frowned and looked down at her blankets. It hurt to hear that Sonic felt he couldn't talk to her about certain things. They used to be able to tell each other everything. Sonic quietly watched her for a moment. He gently lifted her chin up so she would look at him. She had fresh tears forming in her eyes again and he instinctively began wiping them away. His intense gaze returned as he studied her and she felt her heart beginning to race once more. As he stared deep into her jade colored eyes a realization had come to him. She was his and she always had been. He refused to give her up. He didn't care how mad or upset she got at him.

"Amy…," he whispered huskily. "No matter what, you will always be my friend," he told her honestly. "We made a pinky promise remember?" he said, holding out his pinky for her to take.

She nodded. "I remember…," she whispered softly as she gently linked her pinky with his. A feeling of comfort suddenly fell over her. She felt relieved and happy to know that they would always be friends. She looked back up into his emerald green eyes and smiled softly.

"We'll be friends forever," she told him in a soft voice.

He smiled back at her and nodded. "Always," he whispered.

He slowly closed his eyes and leaned towards her once more and gently captured her lips in another kiss. He just couldn't seem to stop himself. He loved the feeling of her lips against his own. It was addicting and he wanted more. Amy's eyes grew wide as she felt his lips upon hers once more and felt her heart beginning to flutter. Almost instantly, as though he had put her under a spell, she slowly closed her eyes and began kissing him back. His lips molded hers hungrily and they both found themselves slowly falling back against her bedding, their pinky fingers still linked. After a while they both parted reluctantly for air and Sonic bent back down and gave Amy a soft peck on her forehead. He silently laid down beside her and she found herself snuggling up against him. He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She was still trying hard to control her rapidly beating heart. What was Sonic doing to her? She found herself overcome with powerful emotions she had never felt before. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. She could feel his heart beating just as quickly as her own. As she started to doze off in his hold she slowly began to realize that she was deeply in love with him. Sonic quietly watched Amy as she began to fall asleep in his arms. He couldn't control the large smile that was on his face.

"Goodnight Amy…," he whispered to her softly.

She smiled sleepily in his hold. "Goodnight…Sonic…," she murmured.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ever since I first thought of this story I had been worried about how everyone was going to react to me making Sonic kind of a bad boy because of how sweet and innocent he is in the beginning. I had always planned to go this route ever since I first thought of this story. Originally though, I was going to skip further into the future and have Sonic meeting Shadow and his transition from sweet kid to kind of a delinquent be flashbacks and the kiss scene at the end was completely different originally but I felt the old idea didn't work well anymore so I changed it. Hopefully the kiss scene at the end makes up for me making him bad. XD Also smoking and drinking is bad! Don't be like Sonic, Scourge, and Shadow! Be like Amy and Tails lol. My story sends a terrible message.<strong>_


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